Anything For Love
by virginalvampire
Summary: Twenty-two year old Bella Swan has spent the last year proving that despite the odds, she'll do anything for love. What happens when someone walks into her life, making her re-think everything she thought was right? She's survived a lot, but will she survive him? Rated M for language and future lemony goodness. BPOV/Drabble
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: This is the only time I'm going to say this: All Twilight related material belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**A/N: This is my first drabble fic. A drabble fic, for those of you who don't know, is a fic with shorter chapters, but quicker updates. I want to try to write a story where I update once a day (hopefully) to challenge myself. I'm not expecting you guys to review every single chapter, this isn't about getting a ton of reviews. However, your reviews seriously make me smile, so any time you'd like to review and share your thoughts…please do! Alright, let's get into it. xo**

* * *

I wiggle my ass, trying to readjust myself before getting into my truck. I really need a new fucking job. Preferably one where glitter isn't stuck in every orifice I have; especially my ass crack.

Can you say uncomfortable?

"Isabella!" I hear my name being shouted and I cringe when I realize who it is.

Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.

I slam the door to my old ratty Chevy and wince when it rattles in response. Shit. I really need to be more careful with Nessie. Yeah, I named my truck, get the fuck over it.

I dig through my purse, hunting for my keys while silently hating myself for not having them ready, when I hear the tap at my window. I take a deep breath, plaster a fake smile on my face, and roll down my window. "Yes Aro?" I ask sweetly while tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.

"You must not have heard me." The smile he gives me is as fake as the one I'm giving him, but neither of us will say so; especially not me. I make it a point to not piss off my boss, even if he is a giant dickwad.

And trust me; Aro Volturi is the _epitome_ of dickwad.

"No, sorry," I lie with a shrug. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry for chasing you down in the parking lot, but I really need you to work tomorrow."

I grimace, hating the fact that I'm going to have to say no. Like I said, I don't want to piss off my boss. "I can't Aro. I don't work Friday nights, remember?" I know he remembers, he's just an asshole.

"Ah yes, well, I think I've been very accommodating in the past. Unfortunately, I don't _want_ you to work tomorrow night, I _need_ you to. So I'll see you at ten, yes?" He forms it as a question, but we both know it's not. There are no options with Aro Volturi. He gets what he wants. I hate him, but I need him.

"Yes, Aro. I'll see you tomorrow at ten."

His thumb strokes my cheek and I have to hold back the vomit that I want to expunge all over his pasty, white, wrinkle covered fucking face. "You're such a good girl, Isabella. Until tomorrow, then."

I glare daggers at his back, wishing that act alone could kill him. Unfortunately it can't so I just mutter a _very quiet_, "fuck off," before pulling away and driving home to my too small apartment in my shitty fucking neighborhood.

Fuck my life.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? What's Bella's job? Any guesses? **

**I know I said I won't beg for reviews for each chapter, and I won't...but I would like some feedback on this first chapter. Should I continue? Are you guys even remotely interested? Lol. Please let me know. See you tomorrow. (Or maybe tonight if enough of you guys like it.) :)  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**.  
**

**.  
**

**.  
**

When I walk into my apartment and see the buck naked ass of Emmett McCarty staring back at me, I silently look up to the ceiling and ask God why he fucking hates me. Truly, you'd think after the last year I've had, he'd make sure I didn't have such shitty days, but nooo.

The grunting and groaning pulls me from my solo fight with the big guy upstairs. I grab the remote from the coffee table and fling it at Emmett's back. "Fuck!" he shouts and looks over his shoulder, not even stopping his rhythm when he sees me. I'm actually kind of impressed.

"Mmm yeah, I know babe. Fuck me harder!" My roommate and now_ former_ best friend yells out in between a few gasps and moans.

"Rosalie Hale!" I screech with my hands on my hips. She squeaks out in surprise before pushing Emmett off of her naked body. She grabs a throw from the back of the couch and drapes it over Emmett, not bothering to cover herself. Between being her roommate and her co-worker, I've seen everything Rose has to show; and trust me she has _a lot_.

Standing at a perfect five-foot-nine-inches, Rosalie is all blonde hair, big tits, and long legs. As if that wasn't enough, her body is all-together fucking flawless and she has the most incredibly weird yet perfectly perfect violet eyes, planted on a face any actress or super model would die for. If she wasn't my best friend, I'd hate her fucking guts.

I glare at her and she actually blushes. In the entire year that I've known her, I've never seen her blush. "B! Hi honey. I didn't think you'd be home so early." She looks over and frowns at the clock. "Why_ are_ you home so early?" She's right; it's only one in the morning, and in our line of work that's a pretty early night.

"It was slow. Aro sent me home, but not before informing me that I was going to work tomorrow night."

Her eyes widen and she glances back at Emmett before turning to me. "You agreed?" I give her _the look_, the one that says 'are-you-fucking-serious-right-now?' and she shrugs. "Well?"

"Of course I fucking agreed Rosalie. What else was I supposed to do?" I'm getting hysterical and I know it, but the reality of this whole situation – the working tomorrow night situation – is starting to sink the fuck in.

"Em, I'll call you in a little bit," Rose says to him without taking her eyes off of me.

"Uh…" he stutters out as he gets up. "Okay babe. You still need a ride in tomorrow?" He drops the blanket and I avert my eyes. I do not want to see Emmett's dick. That'd be ten shades of wrong.

"No," she says with a sigh. "I'll ride with Bella."

"Okay." I chance a glance and see that he's dressed. Thank fucking God. "I'll see you at work tomorrow night then. Bye Bells." He kisses my cheek and then he's gone.

Rose heads for the top cabinet in the kitchen and pulls out our emergency stash of cake flavored vodka. I fucking love her.

Thank God we're going to drink. I'll need the alcohol to get through this.

* * *

**A/N: Alcohol makes everything better! lol**


	3. Chapter 3

.

.

.

I sigh and run my hands through my hair, watching Rose pour us each a shot. I grumble when it gets knotted up thanks to the fucking hairspray and glitter combo it's currently suffering through. "He said he needs me to work tomorrow night, but I don't fucking know why. Why does he need me tomorrow night? He's never had any issue with me not working Fridays. Everyone wants to work Fridays to make the most cash, so it makes it easier on him to schedule everyone. I'm doing him the favor by not working, but now he makes it seem like _he's_ been doing a favor for _me_ by not scheduling me."

"I know why he wants you to work," Rose pipes up after downing her third shot. I arch an eyebrow at her and she answers after another shot. "He's having some big shot come in tomorrow night. Apparently they're renting out the entire club for this big shot brother's bachelor party."

"Aro is renting out the_ entire_ club? As in, it's going to be closed to the public?" I ask in disbelief, because damn…that means he'll be missing out on a hell of a lot of revenue. Twilight is the biggest club in the Seattle area and he makes a shit ton of money on prime weekend nights, especially Fridays.

"I guess they're paying him a fuckton of cash to rent out the entire place. They want absolute privacy and want all of the girls to themselves. As far as I know Aro is having everyone work because he wants variety and doesn't want any of the party guests to be alone."

"This is just…" I don't even know what it is, but it's fucking annoying. "I don't want to work tomorrow."

"But you have to." Rose says sadly as she pulls me closer to her on the couch. I lean against her shoulder and just let her comfort me. Sometimes I just really need a fucking hug from someone who cares, and Rose is all I've got in that department.

"Yeah I have to. If I piss Aro off, he's going to fire me. Then I won't be able to pay him back the fucking money that I owe him and then…who knows what will happen." I know what will happen. I'll stop breathing, that's what. Aro isn't anyone to fuck with, I was smart enough to know that much.

"It'll be okay Bellybum," she says confidently. I don't know who she's trying to convince, me or herself; but the look on her face tells me it isn't working on her and it sure as hell isn't working on me. "Do you need to call the hospital?" she asks softly, giving me a reassuring squeeze.

I swallow and nod. "I'll call first thing in the morning."

"Okay," she kisses my forehead. "Why don't you get that stank of the club off of you and then head to bed. I'll wake up with you in the morning so you're not alone when you call." Rose is like the sister I never had, always looking out for me and knowing what I need without needing to ask. "Sound like a plan babe?"

"Yeah. Thanks Rose. Love you." I give her a final squeeze and then trudge off to the bathroom.

Standing under the hot stream of water, I cry. I let the tears fall and mix with the droplets of water cascading down my face. In the small shower, I let my despair rule me, hoping that at least some of the grief I keep buried inside will evaporate for at least a few blissful minutes.

It doesn't work. It never does.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts on the hospital? **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: You guys, what am I going to do? I have so much written - I can't stop posting. lol! Every time I get an email with your reviews I just wanna post the next chapter. I have no patience.  
**

**How about this? I'll post once in the morning and once at night, yeah? Some of you think I don't want reviews, I do. I just don't wanna bug you to review for each chapter if you don't want to. Review whenever you want, or don't. It's all good. I love hearing your thoughts, they make me smile, y'all know that by now if you've read any of my other stuff.  
**

**Enough a/n nonsense, let's get into it.  
**

* * *

"Bella."

I groan and roll away from Rose's voice.

"Bella!"

"Go away," I grumble as I pull my pillow over my head. "Five more minutes."

"Honey…" she says softly as she pulls the pillow away. "You need to call the hospital, remember?"

Last night comes rushing back to me and I sit upright in bed quickly – too quickly. "Ow," I mumble and rub my head. I fucking hate blood rush. I almost hate it more than brain freeze. I crack an eye open and see Rose smirking at me. "Don't laugh. Be nice to me."

She pretends to zip her lips and throw away a key. Reaching across my bed, she grabs my phone and hands it to me with a sympathetic smile. "What time is it?" I ask, shocked at how emotional my voice sounds. I need to tamper that shit down.

"Eight exactly," she says as she squeezes my hand. "You want me to stay or are you okay?"

"Stay," I say quietly, feeling pathetic that I can't even make a phone call by myself.

If Rose thinks I'm pathetic, she doesn't show it. Instead she climbs under the covers, snuggling up next to me and hugging me while I dial the familiar number.

"Forks General, this is Angela, how can I help you?"

Thank God.

"Angela," I breathe her name in a sigh of relief. "It's Bella."

"Hey Bella! What's up? What time can we expect you in tomorrow? Jessica said he asked for you today, isn't that great news?" she asks excitedly.

My heart clenches and I have to take a few deeps breaths before I can respond. "I'm actually not going to be able to make it tomorrow. Can you…can you just tell him that I'll be there next week?"

"Oh," she says quietly. "Yeah Bella, I'll tell him. Are you okay?"

I've never missed a Saturday visit and I'm sure she's extremely curious as to what would keep me away, but Angela is thankfully too polite and sweet to pry. "Yeah I'm okay. I'm just not going to be able to make the trip this week."

There's no way I can work Friday night until five in the morning and then make the three hour drive to Forks. With my luck I'd pass out behind the wheel from lack of sleep. If I slept before the drive, making the trip would be pointless, because I'd never make it in time for visiting hours anyway. All of which is why I never work Friday nights.

I fucking hate Aro.

"Okay Bella, I'll let him know."

_Hopefully he'll remember_.

It's what we're both thinking, but don't want to say out loud.

"Thanks Angela. I'll see you next week."

"You're welcome. Take care Bella. Bye."

I hang up the phone and turn around, borrowing myself into Rose's body. The tears flow silently as Rose rubs my back and quietly whispers in my ear. "It's going to be okay Bella. You're getting closer to paying him off every single night. You're almost done with school. It won't be for much longer, okay? You're strong and you can do this. I love you."

I want to tell her that I love her too, but I can't speak around the lump in my throat. Instead I just nod, letting her comfort me as my heart wreaks havoc on my body, pumping the guilt and sadness through my veins with no remorse.

I drift off easily, my body emotionally spent.

* * *

**A/N: Poor Bella! :(**


	5. Chapter 5

.

.

.

Waking up a few hours later, I feel a bit better.

The extra sleep definitely helped my emotional exhaustion.

Waking up to Rose's famous French toast didn't hurt either.

French toast and sleep didn't make _everything_ better, but it helped me put away my emotion and lock it up for tonight. The decision has been made, I can't get out of it, so it's time to put on my big girl panties and stop whining. Losing my job isn't going to help anything, it'll only make it worse, so I suck it up and get ready.

"Rose, have you seen my devil horns?" I ask as I hunt through my closet. "I can't find them anywhere."

She walks into my room with a smirk planted on her face. "Here you go." She tosses the horns at me and I narrow my eyes at her. "What?" she asks innocently.

"Where were they?"

"In my room."

"Why?"

"Do you really want to know Bella?"

"Ugh!" I groan and shake my head. "Just please tell me you guys didn't soil them in any way shape or form."

She starts laughing hysterically, so I chuck a shoe at her. She stops laughing immediately and gives me a horrified look. "Bella! What did Jimmy ever do to you?" She caresses the shoe like it's a baby instead of an inanimate object with no fucking feelings. "It's okay ChooChoo, Mama has you."

I roll my eyes at her before kicking her out of my room. I throw the horns into my duffle bag. I have my two favorite outfits; well my two highest paid outfits, anyway. I can't say I really _like_ any of my outfits, but these two are at least fun to play.

When I first started at Twilight, Aro said I had an innocent air about me, and gave me my first role: Angel. As the months went on, and I grew out of my shy and timid shell, he declared that I'd found my devlish side, and gave me a new role: Devil. Now, I do both on the crowded nights.

I come out first as Angel Bella, sensually dancing to a sweet song. A few hours later I re-emerge for my second set as Devil Bella, erotically owning the stage as I dance to a sex fueled song.

Guys eat it up.

Brief thoughts cross my mind, as they usually do when I'm getting ready for work.

What would he think?

Would he be ashamed of me?

I push those thoughts out of my mind, because right now is not the time for it. I need to stay focused and thinking like that is just going to fuck me up.

"Rose!" I call as I throw my duffle bag over my shoulder. "You ready?"

"Yeah! Be right there."

A few minutes later, I get into my car like I'm heading off to battle.

I can do this.

I need to.

* * *

**A/N: You go Bella! So…does anyone have concrete thoughts on her job **_**now**_**? lol one of you were right so far. :P  
**


	6. Chapter 6

.

.

.

"Jelly Belly!" Emmett's booming voice greets me when I walk through the back entrance of Twilight. "What's shakin' sexy?" I shake my head but can't stop the smile from spreading across my face. I know he's worried about last night; worried about me. Em has always been my protector from the very first day I met him and Rose.

I let him wrap me up in one of his famous bear hugs and whisper in his ear. "I'm okay Emmett, I promise."

He searches my face and must see nothing but the truth there, because he nods and gives me a small smile. "I don't why it is, but I know that _it is_ hard for you to work tonight. If anyone fucks with you, you let me know right away, okay?" I feel bad that Emmett doesn't know everything...but it was hard enough to tell Rose, let alone anyone else. Emmett has always been respectful, never prying into my life; always keeping his distance with some subjects, like this.

"Will do Emmie," I wink at him, laughing when he scowls at my nickname for him. He hates it, so of course I use it as often as possible.

As I walk past him, heading for the dressing room, I hear him wolf whistle, which only means one thing: Rosalie. A few minutes later she joins me in the empty dressing room. "Hey," I say as I curl the ends of my hair. "What took you so long?" When walking through the front door, Rose usually gets held up; a lot of people enjoy kissing her ass.

"Aro," she says with no further explanation. I arch an eyebrow and she sighs, sitting down next to me. "He was telling me about tonight. He's going to call a meeting in a few minutes to talk to everyone else about it."

I roll my eyes. Of course he'd tell Rose first before everyone else. He'd told her why he was shutting the club down before everyone else, so it shouldn't surprise me that he had a mini private meeting with her. It doesn't piss me off; I know why he does it. Rose is his cash cow. She's the reason every desperate man in the Seattle area spends his hard earned paycheck here every weekend. Plus, I benefit from it, being her best friend and all; I get to be privy to the information too. "So what'd he say?"

She opens her mouth to tell me just as Jessica and Lauren walk in, or as I like to call them slut #1 and slut #2. I glare at them, pissed that they inadvertently ruined our information session. Rosalie rolls her eyes as they walk toward us. "Hey bitches," Lauren says with a smirk. "I didn't know Aro wanted _everyone_ to work tonight, I thought he just wanted prime meat. He must be desperate." She looks at me with disgust.

Rosalie stands up in front of me, blocking me from their view and places her hands on her hips. "He _does_ want prime meat tonight. It's a very high profile party…which is why I don't understand why you two bitches are here." She laughs. "Maybe he's saving you two for the _desperate_ guys, you know, the fat assholes that none of us are willing to touch."

They both scoff and walk away, heading for the other side of the dressing room. Rosalie whirls around to face me, glaring at me. "Why do you let them treat you that way? You know you pull in more cash for Aro in one night than those two bimbos do in a week."

I shrug. "I don't care what they think."

A few more girls trickle into the dressing room, smiling and waving in our direction. Rose calls out greetings to each of them before turning back to me with her hands on her hips.

"Yeah I know you don't and that's great. I don't give a fuck either. But you need to start standing up for yourself. I'm not always going to be around." She avoids eye contact after that.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Just…stop being a fucking doormat."

I'm about to lay into her and show her how un-doormat-like I am when the dressing room door opens, revealing the one person who makes my skin crawl.

"Hello ladies," Aro says with a smile. "Is everyone ready?"

* * *

**A/N: Aro bugs me.**


	7. Chapter 7

.

.

.

All of the girls start sucking up, saying hello to him in various disgusting ways: kissing his cheek, hugging him tightly, winking at him suggestively; everyone except Rose and me, who give him a dismal wave in greeting.

"Before we open the club in," he looks down at his watch, "ten minutes, I'd like to tell you what's going on tonight." Everyone looks at him eagerly. I just roll my eyes. "Tonight, Twilight is hosting a bachelor party for Jasper Cullen. He's the younger brother of Edward Cullen, who I'm sure most of you have heard of, yes?"

"Oh my fucking God!" Jess screams and jumps up and down. What the fuck? "He's so fucking sexy. Have you heard that one song? The one about sex?" she asks Lauren excitedly.

"Duh!" She fans herself comically. "That song makes me so wet. His voice is just…"

"Who are they talking about?" I ask Rose quietly. She laughs and shakes her head at me. "What?"

"Bella," she sighs. "Only you would have no clue about who Edward Cullen is. He just won that show, America's Next Superstar. Remember, I used to freak out about voting for him?" I barely remember what she's talking about. "It was during finals." Oh, that explains it. I totally zone out around that time.

"Oh." I say stupidly. "Whatever." I shrug, not really impressed; especially if Jessica and Lauren find him attractive. He's probably some blonde-haired, blue-eyed, roid-raging loser. No thank you.

"Settle down ladies," Aro says with a wink. _Barf_. "Anywho…" he walks into the center of the room, commanding our attention. "You are to not text, tweet, blog, or do anything to let anyone outside of this room know that he is here. He's throwing his brother this bachelor party and requests the highest level of privacy. Anyone who breaks this will be fired and fined. No exceptions."

Everyone nods furiously, quick to assure Aro that they're trustworthy.

_Riiiight_.

"As for payment, you will all earn one grand tonight, plus whatever tips you make."

There are gasps all around the room, including from my own lips. That's…wow. I mean, some of us can pull off a few hundred dollars, I think the person who made the most in one night was Rose, taking home six hundred. Making a grand plus whatever we make on our own is…crazy. Which makes me think… "Aro?" I ask quietly. He nods to me. "Why are we being paid a grand on top of whatever we make?"

"I want them satisfied. _Completely_." He arches an eyebrow, trying to silently say what he legally can't out loud. _Fuck that_. I am not a prostitute. "If a guest expresses an interest to…take things further, and you agree, be sure to accept payment first before anything happens, and make sure you are no longer on the premises."

I'm about to speak up, and freak out, but Rose sees this and stops me by grabbing my hand and squeezing it. We all know that some girls…do that, but it's never been blatantly said by anyone, let alone Aro.

"Is that all?"

"What's the stage schedule?" Rose asks.

"I want Bella to do her lovely angel to devil show," Aro says with a wink. "So she'll get two slots. I would like you to do your Marilyn Monroe routine in between her sets." What? I have to go back on after Rose? Seriously? I don't hear the rest of his schedule and I don't even realize he's left until Rose is shaking me.

"Bella! Snap the fuck out of it."

"Huh?"

"What is your deal?"

"I have to go on after you! How is that fair?" She rolls her eyes at me and places her hands back on her hips. Great, she's getting ready to lecture me.

"I'm so sick of you thinking you're ugly and not sexy enough. Why do you think guys freak the fuck out when you come on stage?" She grabs my shoulders. "I've been telling you this for the last year. You are fucking gorgeous, Bella. Accept it."

She stalks out of the dressing room and slams the door behind her.

I see Jessica and Lauren snickering at me and shaking their heads. I decide to follow at least some of Rose's advice and give them the finger. Their mouths drop open in shock. I smile to myself as I head to one of the privacy curtains to change into my first outfit.

_Channel Rose_, I tell myself as I dress.

I'm sexy.

* * *

**A/N: You go B!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: You guys are smart cookies.**

* * *

Everyone squeals and yells excitedly, causing Aro to grin widely.

"Okay lovelies, let's get out there and make some money!" he shouts as he throws his hands up. Girls make their way out of the dressing room, finding a prime spot out in the club for when the guests start arriving.

I see Aro approaching out of my peripheral vision as I apply my light shimmering eye shadow.

"Bella, are you ready to take the stage?"

"Now?"

"Yes, I would like you to be the first on stage tonight."

"Um…yeah, okay. I'll be ready in a couple of minutes."

He looks down at his watch. "Be ready in ten. All of the guests should be here by then. I'll let Riley know when to cue your music."

"Sure," I say with a nod, trying to appease him and hopefully get him away from me faster. That's my goal in every conversation with Aro; short and to the point.

He squeezes my shoulder and winks at me in the mirror. "I look forward to your dances." Ugh.

I walk out of the dressing room a few minutes later to find Rose. I spot her near the bar, talking to Garrett.

"Hey Bella," Garrett says with a wink. "How ya doin'?"

"I'm doing just great Garrett."

"Ah, the lovely art of sarcasm."

We both laugh and Rose looks back and forth between the two of us with a smirk.

"Sarcasm is my art form. Can I get something on the house for my nerves?" I smile at him sweetly.

He stares at me for a second before fumbling with a shot glass and getting me my drink. "Here," he says as he pushes it toward me. "On the house," he finishes with a wink.

I down the shot quickly, enjoying the slow burn of the alcohol as it slides down my throat. "Mmmm, thanks. That'll help."

"N-no problem Bella."

I walk away with Rose hot on my heels. "Are you fucking serious?" she whisper-yells.

"What?" I ask with an arched eyebrow.

"Do you torture that poor boy like that all the time?"

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm really nice to Garrett!"

"Oh, I know you're _really _nice to him. I just saw how _nice_ you are!"

"What?"

"Bella…you probably gave that poor guy a fucking boner. Look at how funny he's walking." We both look back and see him walking with a slight limp…and burst into giggles. "If I had x-ray vision, I'm pretty sure I'd see a boner tent behind that bar."

I roll my eyes at her but continue giggling, unable to stop myself. "Stop. You're seriously twisted."

"Bella…I'm being serious. Do you always do that? Cause if so, that's pretty mean."

"I didn't _do_ anything!" What the fuck is her problem?

"The fact that you don't know you did anything, makes you just…"

"An idiot?"

"No! You're sweet. But…this is what I mean Belly, you need to realize how sexy you are! You're effortlessly sexy. Do you see that?"

I roll my eyes and she huffs at me. "Bella!" I turn toward the sound of my voice and see Riley calling me over. I hastily make my way over toward him, distancing myself from Rose and her crazy ass ramblings.

"Yeah?"

"What's your first song choice tonight? Aro said you're on in five. The guests are here but he's holding them in the lobby until everyone is in place."

"Like a Virgin," I answer with no hesitation.

* * *

**A/N: We'll see Bella in action in the next chap. See you in a few hours. xox**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Guys! I'm so sorry for the delay. I had a bunch of internet issues yesterday and today. :( You're getting three more chapters tomorrow. xo**

* * *

**EPOV**

I can't fucking believe I'm doing this shit.

I look around the dim room. It's not as I expected it to be.

When you think strip club, you think dim and dirty. A rotten club full of the stench of the desperate men who frequent it on the weekends instead of spending that time with their wives and families. I'm sure places like that exist, but Twilight has shown me that they're not all like that; if the bright open space full of tasteful decor anything to go by.

"Edward!" my brother Jasper calls from a few feet away. "Come here man!" I make my way through our group toward him, receiving a few grateful slaps on the back from the guys for the secret surprise I'd put together for everyone. "Damn Ed! I didn't know you had it in you! I woulda never guessed that you'd rent out an entire strip club for my bachelor party!" He looks like a fucking kid on Christmas, which makes me burst out laughing. He frowns at me. "What?"

"Nothing," I shake my head. "I'm glad you like it."

"So it's just us?"

I nod. "Yeah, I told the owner I wanted absolute privacy. It's just us and the guys." I wasn't surprised that the owner, Aro, had let me rent out the entire club for the night. It wasn't like it was just my brother and me. We strolled in with twenty other guys in tow. He'd be making plenty of money tonight from all of these guys' wallets, not to mention the fucking fee I paid to rent this place out in the first place. Money can get you pretty much anything; something I've learned a lot about over the last few months.

Since winning the show, I've had tons of money and deals thrown at me. I won't even mention how many women have thrown themselves at me. It's kind of fucking pathetic how many girls are willing to fuck you just because you won a singing competition. I mean yeah, winning it earned me an easy five million dollars, not to mention the recording contract I won on top of that – so I'm sure fucking a rich and soon-to-be-famous guy is the highlight of their lives...but still; pathetic.

I didn't fuck any of them, which should be a huge testament to my self control. It helped that I had a girlfriend...one who I thought I was madly in love with. Turns out I was wrong about that. Also turns out she wasn't refusing the fuck offers from all of the guys who wanted to fuck the runner-up.

"So Eddie," Jasper says with a waggle of his eyebrows. "You see anything you like so far?"

I look around the room, which has now filled with a bunch of scantily clad women. "Eh," I shrug. "Not really." I mean, they're hot in a I-have-more-plastic-than-a-ball-pit kind of way; but that does nothing for me.

He sighs and places his hand on my shoulder, giving me a firm squeeze. "Eddie, man, you gotta move on. She's not worth it man, okay?"

I scoff and shake my brother off. "As if I give a shit about _her_," I roll my eyes. "Trust me; she's the last thing on my mind."

"So are you gonna…hook up tonight?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "No. I'm not that desperate. I'll just enjoy the show." He snickers at me and nods his head. "That's all you'd better be doing too asshole. Alice will kill me if you stray."

He punches me in the arm, really fucking hard. "What the fuck?" I shout as I rub the spot.

"Don't you ever insinuate I'd ever do anything to hurt my little Darlin'," he says in a weird Texas drawl.

"What the fuck J? Since when are you from Texas?"

He looks at me like I'm an idiot before shrugging. "Dunno. That always happens when I drink."

We both crack up laughing, not stopping until we hear a song blast through the speakers. I snicker. _Like A Virgin_? Seriously? What kind of stripper dances to that song?

As the first few lines fill my ears, I look to the stage and my jaw drops.

"Holy. Fucking. Fuck."

* * *

**A/N: Wassup Edward? Something catch your eye? Lmao**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Let's stay in Edward's head, yeah?**

* * *

The brunette goddess strutted out onto the stage, claiming it as her own and demanding everyone's undivided attention. I used all of the will I had in me to pull my eyes away from her for a second to look around the room. Every man in the room, including those with Twilight employee shirts on, are staring at the stage slack-jawed; seemingly transfixed by her presence.

_Didn't know how lost I was_

_Until I found you_

Seeing the men's faces and hearing their wolf whistles, I snap my eyes back to the stage, and my jaw joins the rest in the room, dropping to the floor. The beautiful woman is hanging…upside down…on the pole, only holding herself up by her creamy thighs that are wrapped around the silver metal. Goddamn I wanna be that pole. I've never been jealous of an inanimate object…but there's a first time for everything.

_I was beat, incomplete_

_I'd been had, I was sad and blue_

I watch with rapt fascination as she slowly slides down the pole a bit before placing her hands on the smooth, flat, exposed skin of her stomach. My mouth goes dry when her hands travel further, not stopping until she's cupping her firm breasts that are covered only by the skimpiest demi-cup bra I've ever seen.

_But you made me feel_

Her hands unfortunately continue on until her palms are flat on the floor below her head.

_Yeah, you made me feel_

My eyes bulge out of my head as she bends herself at the waist, her outstretched legs spread open wide, showing off how tiny her fucking lacey white thongs is. I look away for a second, narrowing my eyes at Mike Newton, who has been yelling crude things toward the stage this entire time.

_Shiny and new_

I snap my gaze back to the stage and my mouth is no longer dry, it's pooled with drool. My goddess is at the edge of the stage now, on her knees with her thighs spread. Before I know what's happening, my feet are carrying me toward the stage, _toward her_.

_Like a virgin_

She bites her lip and throws her head back as her hands yet again are covering her stomach. Only this time, they're travelling south…

_Touched for the very first time_

I gasp as one of her hands continues to descend and my breath hitches when she touches herself, cupping her covered pussy. I'm close now, so close that I can fucking smell her. She smells like a meadow full of flowers and fruit.

_Like a virgin_

_When your heart beats next to mine_

Her head snaps up then, as if she sensed me there, and her eyes widen comically as she takes me in. I'm sure I look like a fucking _psychopath_, standing here at the stage, only mere inches from her. I watch as her chest heaves quickly, wanting to do nothing more than lick the little droplets of sweat that's resting on her chest.

Our eyes lock as she trails her hands back up her body, cupping her breasts again and squeezing them firmly before dragging her fingers up the column of her neck, settling them into her luscious fucking locks._ Damn_, I wish those were my fingers. I want to wrap her hair around my hands.

I hear a whimper.

I'm not sure which one of us did it.

I'm not sure of anything else except this beautiful fucking girl in front of me.

And that's just fine with me.

* * *

**A/N: Someone is smitten with our little Stripella. I'm gonna let y'all pick. Next chapter (which will post this afternoon so everyone has time to review and tell me) what do you want? More EPOV or do you wanna hear from our girl B? Let me know! I aim to please… :P**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Here's some more EPOV. We'll catch up with Bella in the next chapter. Please review. I'd love your thoughts. :)**

* * *

"What the fuck was all that about bro?" Jasper asks me as he stares at me in disbelief.

I ignore him. I'm too busy staring at the stage's curtains; the curtains that my goddess just disappeared behind. He punches my arm really fucking hard repeatedly until I turn around to face him. "Ow! What the fuck man? What?"

"What was that?"

"What was what, Jasper?!"

"The whole thing with the stripper chick," he says with a nod toward the stage. "You were in like a trance...and you wouldn't let anyone else near her. It was like she was doing some private show for you or some shit."

I ignore the rest of what he said and focus on one thing. "Don't call her that," I growl with more acid than I'd meant to.

"Don't call her what?" Jasper asks over his shoulder as we walk toward the bar. "A stripper? You realize that's what she is right? It's not insulting if it's fact."

"Shut the fuck up man." I turn away from him and face the bartender. "Can I get a shot? Anything," I answer his raised brow. "Anything that'll fuck me up." He snickers as he gets to the task. I turn back toward my brother. "I don't know what that was about, okay? I just…fuck. I don't know! She just…damn. I can't believe she's gone though. Do you think it'd be weird if I went back to find her?"

Jasper's eyebrows inch toward his hairline at an alarming rate. I scowl at him for making me feel stupid for asking. "What?" I snap as I down the shot the bartender hands me. "Another man," I call over my shoulder as I slap a fifty down on the bar. "Just keep 'em comin'."

"You…want to go backstage and track down a stripper?" I nod. "Why?"

"I just…I need to see her again."

"Do you wanna fuck her?" he asks with a snicker. _I'm_ trying to get wasted…my _brother_ is definitely already there. I roll my eyes and turn away from him again, ready to down as many shots as I can, when I see the fierce glare on the bartender's face. What the fuck is his problem? I paid for my shit.

Ignoring him, I down two more shots and face Jasper. "Shit that's strong stuff." I shake my head and try to compose my thoughts. "I don't wanna fuck her. Well I mean, I wouldn't be against that at all, but that's not why I wanna find her."

"Then why?"

"I just…she left so unexpectedly." I can hear the whine in my voice and roll my eyes at myself for sounding like a child whose favorite toy was taken from him. It's true though, once the song ended, she broke eye contact a fled the stage like her ass was on fire. "I just wanna see her again. Maybe find out her name."

"Ask around. I'm sure someone here will know it," Jasper says with a shrug. Genius! My drunk ass brother is a genius. "Get her name, get her number, and then fuck her brains out!" he howls out a laugh and almost chokes on his own drink. I slap his back harder than necessary. "Ow!" he cries like a little bitch. "I'm just saying Ed; you need to fuck Kate out of your system. Then you can move on."

"I've moved on," I say through clenched teeth. I turn around, planning to ignore him as much as possible for the rest of the night, and settle my sights on the scowling bartender. "Hey man…you know that girl that was on stage? The virgin chick?" His eyes snap to mine and he arches an eyebrow. I cough awkwardly. "So yeah, you know her name?"

"No."

"Okaaaay…" Try a new tactic. "You think it'd be okay for me to go check on her backstage?"

"No."

"You own this place?"

He answers through gritted teeth this time. He's pissed. "No."

"Didn't think so. Thanks for nothing, see ya never."

I turn around, smiling when I hear him literally growl, and go in search of my goddess.

You can _run_ but you can't _hide_.

* * *

**A/N: Hahah. Garrett doesn't seem to like Edward eh? He's going to find his goddess! BPOV next.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Let's check in with B, yeah?**

**BPOV**

* * *

"What the fuck was that?" I ask myself as I look in one of the dressing room mirrors. Seriously, what the _fuck_ was that?

I've had guys approach the stage before, of course; hell I've had guys try to _get on_ stage with me. But this guy…he walked up to the stage and took over every single one of my fucking thoughts. I ended up just staying in that position…letting my hands roam over my body, picturing them as his hands instead of my own. It was like I was in a trance. I've never felt so…connected; I've never felt so sexy…wanted…_desired_.

I've spent a year getting naked in front of strange men; men who have hollered, whistled, and screamed some very nasty things at the stage…and I always just shrugged off the bad vibes, the feelings of doubt and worthlessness; but one look from this green-eyed stranger and…I felt alive and powerful.

"Um…Bella?"

I look toward the door and see Garrett poking his head in, his hand covering his eyes. I giggle and answer him. "Yeah? What's up Garrett?"

"I…uh…you decent?"

I roll my eyes because his hand is still covering his face. He's seen me naked countless times from his position at the bar; I don't get what his deal is. "Yeah, what did you need?"

I see him visibly swallow as he lowers his hand. His eyes rake over my devil outfit. He turns crimson as he takes in my blood red corset, black rip-away pettiskirt, blood red thigh high stockings, a perfect pair of red fuck-me-heels, and of course; to complete my outfit, a pair of horns on my head.

"Wow Bella," Garrett breathes. "You look great."

"Um, thanks." I barely resist rolling my eyes. I've worn this outfit multiple times in front of him. "Was there something you needed?" I'm pissed at Rose for saying what she did earlier. Now I can't help but notice how he kind of…fawns over me. I wanna go back to being blissfully ignorant!

"Oh! Right, yeah, uh…there's this guy looking for you. He was asking about you at the bar." A fierce look overtakes his face as he continues speaking. "He wanted to know your name…it was the guy that was in your face during your last routine. I basically told him to fuck off, so you don't have to worry."

What? No! No! No!

"Why did you do that?"

"Uh…I've always done that with the overzealous assholes, you've never cared before." He looks confused. "Was that wrong to do?"

Yes, mind your fucking business. I can handle myself. "I don't know. No. I guess it's fine. Thanks."

_Way to speak your mind_.

Shut up.

"Okay, I'll see you in a half an hour, Devil Bella." He winks at me and shuts the dressing room door.

I hear Rose's music start and decide to go and watch her from the side of the stage. She's really sexy and fuckawesome. Everything I know is from watching her work the stage.

As I exit the dressing room, I spot someone coming down the hallway. As he gets a bit closer, I see that it's Mr. Green Eyes…and holy fucking hell. The dim lights by the stage did nothing to show off his good looks. I knew he was attractive, I mean, I'd spent three full minutes just staring at his face, but seeing him now…I feel gipped. I feel like what I saw before was through blurry vision and I'm only just now seeing clearly.

He runs his hair through his weird reddish-brownish-coppery colored hair as he gets closer. I wanna run my fingers through that fucking hair. His green eyes are the prettiest shade of jade I've ever seen in my entire life. His jaw is…lickable, to say the least. The only imperfection I spot on his face is a tiny bump on his nose, which only makes him somehow more perfect.

_Shit_. I can see a bump on his nose? He's a lot fucking closer than I'd realized. And…he's staring at me.

What the fuck do I do?

What the fuck do I say?

"Hi," he says in the sexiest fucking velvet voice I've ever heard. I think my thong just disintegrated right off my body.

"Hey," I squeak out and roll my eyes at myself. He gets to sound like sex personified and I sound like a mouse. Go figure.

"What's your name?"

I answer immediately, sounding more confident than I feel. "Bella, what's yours?"

His eyes widen and he smirks down at me. "Let's not worry about that right now, yeah? I have something more important I need to do."

"What's that?"

"This."

And then he crushes his perfect pouty soft delicious lips to mine.

* * *

**A/N: Am I mean for ending it there? Review. :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Edward demanded to speak…so yeah.**

* * *

Oh God.

So fucking soft.

So fucking delicious.

I shocked myself as much as Bella when I kissed her, but right now, I'm feeling like this was probably the best decision I've ever made in my entire life.

Bella whimpers and grips my shirt, showing me silently that she wants this; as if her tongue in my mouth didn't already. Something about that little fucking whimper sets me off though. I push her up against the wall, pressing my body against hers, effectively caging her in.

"Shit," she mutters when I disengage our lips and dive for her neck.

So much creamy porcelain skin; need to taste every fucking inch.

_Mine_!

Whoa, where the fuck did that thought come from?

I flick my tongue out against her skin, licking from her collarbone up to her ear, wrapping my lips around her little lobe and sucking it into my greedy mouth. She groans and lifts a leg, wrapping it around my hip tightly. I place my hand under her thigh, holding her leg up while I grind my now hard cock against her. I pull away and look at her face, making sure this is okay.

_Shit_.

She looks fucking phenomenal. Her face is flushed with desire and her usual chocolate eyes are now heavy-lidded and almost black.

"Excuse me?"

I look around for the owner of the annoying fucking voice. My eyes land on a small man with long black hair and pasty pale skin. He's wearing a designer suit, probably hoping it makes him look more powerful; it doesn't. It makes him looking like a little kid playing dress up with his daddy's work clothes.

"Oh!" Bella squeaks out as she pushes me away. She gives me a small apologetic smile as she takes a few steps back; a few steps toward the tiny man. "Hello Aro," she says with what was probably supposed to be a smile, but looks more like a grimace to me.

"Isabella," he says with a nod of his head. He holds out a hand and she walks toward him. Every step she takes toward him is like a knife in my heart, and I have no idea why. She takes his hand and he pulls her to his side. My stomach churns.

"What are you doing?" I hear him ask her quietly. "I told you that those kinds of activities were not to be performed on the club premises. If you would like to continue, find your guest later after your second set."

Second set?

Now that I look at her, I finally notice that she's wearing a different outfit. Holy fuck her outfit! How did I not notice _that shit_ before? She looks like sin. I wanna be a naughty boy. Asshole's voice pulls me out of my dirty fantasies.

"Sir? May I escort you back to the main stage?"

"No, I'm alright right here, thank you." My tone is sharp and very do-not-fuck-with-me. I need this fucker to leave so I can resume giving attention to my goddess. He smiles and shakes his head.

"I'm sorry sir, but you're not allowed back here."

"Says fucking _who_?"

"Me," he says before turning to my goddess. "Bella, maybe you should go back to the dressing room until your next set, yes?" She nods and gives me a parting smile and wave before shuffling back down the hall toward a small door.

"And who the fuck are _you_?" I ask both because; who the fuck is this guy? But mostly because; why the fuck is her looking at my girl's ass like that? Old ass creeper.

"The owner of this club," he says with false power and confidence.

"Yeah? I thought Demetri owned this place? I dealt with him. I have no idea who you are."

He frowns and shakes his head. "My name is Aro Volturi. Demetri is my son. May I ask your name?"

"I'm Edward Cullen."

His face somehow gets even paler and he stutters a bit. "M-Mr. Cullen, it's an honor to host your brother's bachelor party. I hope you plan to come here whenever you're in Seattle."

"Ah… maybe." I shrug. "I'm not so sure I like the service here."

"Sir…" he trails off as he walks toward me. "If you like Bella, you'll love the other girls. They're much more…exotic. I can arrange something for you for after hours, whether you choose Bella or someone else."

"What?"

"You know, if you would like some company to escort you home." He raises an eyebrow.

"You want to _pimp_ Bella out to me?" I ask incredulously.

Sensing my shocked tone, he backtracks. "No Sir, you misunderstand me. I am just saying, a man like you should not spend a Friday night alone. She would be purely company."

I smile to placate him as we walk back to the main stage. "Ah, I see."

"Would you like me to arrange something for you?"

"Yeah, I want Bella."

* * *

**A/N: What are you guys thinking about that?! I'd love to know your thoughts…what do you think Edward is thinking? **


	14. Chapter 14

.

.

.

"That can be arranged," Aro says with a smile as we make our way to the bar. "After her second set, she's free to go."

"No. I don't want her to do a second set."

I refuse to fucking allow other guys to see her in that outfit.

_She's a stripper; she won't be in it for long_.

That's worse. I refuse to let her get on stage and _get out_ of that outfit.

No one will see that shit again.

_Except for you right_?

Shut the fuck up.

"What?" he asks in a confused tone, breaking me out of my argument with myself. "She has to do her last set, and then she is free."

There he goes with that _free_ shit again, like he owns her or some shit. I swallow back the insult I want to hurl his way and instead use what always works; money. "Mr. Volturi…I'm willing to pay a disgusting amount of money for Bella to escort me home and perform for me…privately. Do you think you could arrange that?" I use my most charming smile just to sway this shit in my favor.

"Um…"

Now it's time to go in for the kill. "Service is important to me. If you can make this happen…Twilight will be my go to spot whenever I'm in Seattle."

"Oh! How lovely! I think I can arrange this for you Mr. Cullen. Give me a few moments, yes?"

"Thank you."

"Who was that shmuck?"

I turn around to see the very drunk face of my brother. "That was the owner of the club. I needed to make some arrangements with him."

"What arrangements?"

"I'm getting a private dance."

"Woo! That's awesome! Champagne room?"

"No…back at the hotel."

His eyes widen. "You're gonna…"

"No!" I whisper-yell. "Shut the fuck up. I'm just getting a dance."

"Okay man," he holds his hands up. "I'll see you tomorrow then, yeah?"

"Yeah," I give him a one-armed hug. "I'll be the best man beside ya."

**BPOV**

"What?" I shriek.

_This is not fucking happening_.

"I said…you're going to be performing a private dance for a customer at his hotel."

"No I am _not_."

"Do you like your job, Isabella?"

Here we fucking go.

"Yes Aro," I reply through gritted teeth.

"Do I need to remind you that your employment is essential to paying back that one-hundred-thousand dollar loan I gave you?"

"No Aro."

"Good. Then that also means that I do not need to remind you of what the consequences are for non-payment."

I shake my head.

He claps and smiles. "Very well!"

"Aro…" I try one last plea before he has a chance to run out of the dressing room. "I can't just go home with a stranger."

"He's not a stranger. You seemed to be _very_ acquainted with him when I walked in on the two of you. Meet me in my office, yes? We'll go over the details together."

Holy. Shit. It's Mr. Green Eyes?

_Just because he's hot doesn't mean he's not a serial killer, just look at Dexter_.

Shit. That's true.

_But what a way to fucking go_.

Knowing I have no choice anyway, I simply nod.

* * *

**A/N: I don't know what's wrong with Bella. I would gladly be Edward's private stripper. Lol! Sorry this one's late…work was craycray today. See you in a few hours with the next chapter. Please review! xo **

**For those of you who read my other story ALIL, that'll update tomorrow. :)**


	15. Chapter 15

.

.

.

**BPOV**

I stand in front of Aro's door for five full minutes before I knock.

"Come in!" I take a deep breath to steel myself and open the door. "Ah, Isabella it's so lovely of you to join us!" Aro's words say pleasantries, his tone says pissed off. I give him a small smile and walk over to the empty seat.

Sitting to my right is Mr. Green Eyes. "Hello Bella," he says with a grin, extending his hand into the space between us. I take it easily and try not to look shocked when I felt a zap hit my skin. It's like an electric current running up and down my arm. Did that happen when I was shoving my tongue down his throat? I can't remember.

"Hi," I breathe in no more than a whisper. We lock eyes and I swear to fucking God, his _sparkle_.

"So," Aro breaks the magic of the moment. "Here are the rules."

"Rules?" Mr. Sexy interrupts Aro, sounding pretty pissed.

"Yes. There are rules for private dances."

"I don't see why there would be in this situation. We are not going to be on your premises."

Damn, I wonder if he's a lawyer. I quickly picture him in a suit and tie, swallowing back the drool that fills my mouth when I picture him commanding a court room's attention. I'd be on trial any day if I got to look at him all day long.

"Ah, yes, but Mr. Cullen, regardless of the premises Bella is still _mine_."

My eyes bug out of my head. Mr. _Cullen_? Not Edward Cullen? No fucking way. And who does that asshole think he is? I'm _his_? Yeah fucking right buddy.

"Yours?" Mr. Maybe Edward Cullen asks incredulously. I stifle a smile, loving that he seems to be as outraged as I am.

"I meant my employee, of course," Aro answers with a shrug and a smile. "Whether she is here or not, she is performing work duties that she is being paid for."

"I see."

"Excuse me?" I interrupt. "Could you both not talk about me as if I'm not here?"

"I'm sorry," Green Eyes says to me sincerely. Aro merely giggles._ Asshole_.

"Bella," Aro says with a shake of his head. "You are to go with Mr. Cullen to his hotel room to perform your devil routine, nothing more. You will be paid an hourly rate. When you are done, Mr. Cullen will arrange transport for you to go home. Any questions?"

"No."

"Very well then, have fun you two." He winks at us and I feel my stomach roll. He's so fucking creepy.

After being escorted out of Aro's office, Cullen walks me to the dressing room. "So…you need to get your stuff yeah?" I nod. "Okay, well I'll wait out here for you." He gives me an encouraging smile and I try to smile back, but it probably comes out as a grimace.

"I'll be right back," I say quickly before running into the dressing room…and right into Rosalie.

I don't say a word. I just launch myself into her arms and cry.

* * *

**A/N: It's okay B. Edward isn't as bad as you think. He'll console you. ;) Thoughts? If there are lots of reviews, I may update again tonight. Yes, I'm bribing you. You know you wanna be bribed.**


	16. Chapter 16

.

.

.

"Bella! What's wrong? Honey, look at me." Rose grabs my chin and lifts my face. One look at me and she's in full mama bear mode. "What happened? Who fucked with you? I will fucking kill them. Tell me!"

"A-Aro…"

"Motherfucker!"

She pulls me away from her and is about to storm out of the dressing room but I frantically grab at her. "Rose! No! Listen to me!" She shakes me off and pushes the door open…right on Edward's face.

"Shit! Ow! Fuck!" He covers his face in his hands and continues with an impressive mantra of "fuck" and all of its variations.

"Holy shit!" Rose yells as she rushes toward him. "I just assaulted Edward Cullen!"

As I take in the sight of my best friend trying to console a fucking celebrity my vision starts to blur and before I know what's happening, I'm on a face first trip to the floor.

"She's coming to," I hear a velvety voice announce close to me. I open my eyes and am immediately assaulted by the pure beauty of his bright green eyes. His brow is furrowed, and as I take in the rest of his face, I see that he looks incredibly worried. "Bella," he sighs my name like a prayer. "Thank God you're awake. Are you okay? How many fingers am I holding up?" He holds out his thumb and his index finger.

"One," I answer immediately.

"Aw shit! She probably needs a fucking cat scan or whatever that's called. Why would they name a scan after an animal? That makes no sense." I try to laugh at Emmett but I quickly realize that only makes the pounding in my head worse.

"Shut the fuck up Emmett!" Rose scolds him. I see her pulling him further down the hall, and when I see her get into her "Rose's lecture stance" I worry for Emmett's safety. "I called you to come and help because she fucking fainted, not to come and be an idiot."

"Did you answer one because I had a thumb up?"

I turn toward his voice and see him smirking down at me. I can't help but smile as I answer. "Yep. Everyone knows a thumb is a thumb, not a finger."

"Very clever," he says with a chuckle. "I have to admit I was expecting you to say two."

I don't know why, but anger surges up in me. "Why? Because I'm a stripper?"

"What?" he asks, his face a mask of shock.

"Did you think I was too stupid to know something so simple?"

"Bella…no. I was just being a smartass…I'm sorry. I would never think you're stupid because of what you do for a living. Please believe me."

I don't know why, but I _do_ believe him. Plus, I know he wasn't being malicious about it. Lots of people just automatically consider the thumb a finger. I'm just being bitchy because I'm embarrassed. "I believe you." He breathes out a sigh. "Can you help me up?" I hold out my hand and he takes it willingly.

The second we touch, I feel that fucking spark again. When I'm standing on wobbly legs, he pulls me against him, holding me to him tightly. I look up at him in surprise, about to ask him what he's doing…until I see his eyes. They're dark green, which is quickly becoming my favorite color_ ever_.

"Ahem."

We both turn towards Rose, seeing her arched eyebrow and hand on her hip. "Wait a second. Why were you standing out here anyway? Are you part of the reason my best friend was just crying her eyes out? Because I don't care how much money you have or how famous you are, making my friend cry gets you a swift kick in the nuts. Unfortunately for you, I have on stilettos tonight."

"Rose!"

"No, Bella let me answer." Edward unfortunately releases me, turning his body to face Rose's. "I am." Rose's eyes blaze and she takes a step forward. Emmett tries to grab her but when she shoots a glare his way, he wisely backs off. "Hold on there tiger," Edward says with his hands up in surrender. "It's not what you're thinking."

Rose looks surprised. I'm sure our facial expressions are identical, because I'm pretty surprised too. "What do I think then?" Rose challenges him.

"Can we talk somewhere else?" he asks as he looks around. "I don't want to be overheard."

Rose takes a deep breath and we all wait for her answer. "Fine. Spill your fucking guts, Cullen."

* * *

**A/N: Rose wants answers! What do y'all think? Please review! I love hearing your thoughts. Guess what?! I'm going to see Breaking Dawn tonight with my BFF! Is anyone else going? :D**


	17. Chapter 17

.

.

.

**EPOV**

"Okay spill it."

Wow, Blondie doesn't waste any time, does she?

"I want to get to know Bella."

Blondie starts laughing at me. "Rosalie!" Bella says in a scolding tone, placing her hand on her hip. _Fuck, she looks sexy_. "Hear him out. Edward?"

I give her a small, somewhat awkward smile before turning my attention to Rosalie. "I told Aro that I wanted a private dance, and he agreed. The terms he gave me were simple. She's to come to my hotel and do a dance, and then I'm to send her home. I don't plan on following through with his rules." I say rules as if it's a dirty word.

"What do you plan on doing then?" Bella asks quietly.

"I just want to talk to you Bella." She bites her lip and looks like she doesn't believe me. Why would she, Cullen? You just practically bought her. I ignore myself and focus on Bella. "I know that seems crazy, but it's true."

"That can't be the only reason you requested a private dance at your hotel room," Rose interrupts. "How much did you pay?"

I answer immediately, not wanting to lie. "Ten thousand dollars."

"What?" Bella shrieks before covering her mouth with her hands.

"Holy fuck," Rose breathes.

"Damn dude."

"Shut up Emmett."

"Yeah…" I say awkwardly, leaning back on the balls of my feet. "You don't even have to come. You can go home. I can give you a ride…if you'd like."

"She lives with me. I'm her roommate. We'll take her home."

Blondie is starting to get on my fucking nerves. "Stop acting like my mother Rose." Yeah, you go Bella! "I can make my own choices." I nod along silently. "I'm not going to your hotel room Edward." Shit.

I try to keep the look of disappointment off of my face. "Okay Bella."

She stands there staring at me for at least a full minute while I nervously shuffle my feet, feeling entirely too vulnerable under her scrutiny. When she opens her mouth to speak I hold my breath. "We'll go to my apartment." Rose opens her mouth to speak but Bella holds her hand up. "You still have a few hours of work left Rose. Emmett will take you to his place afterwards. Right Emmett?"

"Uh, yeah sure." After a quick look at Rose he corrects himself. "I mean, if she wants." I'd laugh at how whipped this dude is…except for the fact that Blondie scares me.

"Rose?" Bella asks with an arched eyebrow. Fuck that's sexy.

"Fine," she grumbles as she shoots me an icy glare. When she takes a step toward me, I instinctively step back, causing her to smirk as she continues her advance. Anger flares up in me and I stop moving backward. Instead I fold my arms over my chest and await her, refusing to run away like a fucking pussy. Bella just agreed to spend time with me, I'm not about to fuck that up. "If you hurt my best friend in any fucking way, I will end your career and then your life. Got it, pretty boy?"

"Got it," I say with no hesitation. I lower my voice so only she can hear before I continue. "The other reason I paid so much money? I didn't want her up on that stage in that outfit. I just want…I don't know. I want to protect her. I don't know why. It's the strongest urge I've ever had. I will not hurt her. I only want to know her."

She looks into my eyes, searching for something. She smirks after a few seconds, seemingly happy with whatever she's seen. "Alright, I'll give you a chance. Just one."

"That's all I'm asking for."

She turns around and walks over to Bella, hugging her tightly and whispering in her ear. Bella smiles weakly and hugs her back.

"I'll make sure Aro is none the wiser. You two have fun. I'll see you tomorrow, first thing."

She points a motherly finger at the two of us.

That chick is something else.

"You ready?" Bella asks.

"Definitely."

* * *

**A/N: Breaking Dawn was incredible! Did you guys see it? What'd ya think? You know what other thoughts I'd like to know? Did you like this chappie? Review! See you in a few hours. Our two kids are finally going to spend some time together. ;)**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Sorry this took so long, I had a super busy weekend. But guess what? You'll get four chapters tomorrow. :) I know right?! Awesome. :P**

* * *

**BPOV**

"Soo…" I trail off awkwardly, not really knowing what to say. I mean, what do you say when you have Edward fucking Cullen chilling in your ratty little apartment? Exactly.

"So this is your place?"

I arch an eyebrow at him. "Yeah…"

"Right, sorry. This is awkward huh?"

I let out a small chuckle. "Yeah it is. Do you um, want a drink or something?"

"Sure."

"What do you want?"

"What do you have?"

Looking into the fridge, I call out his options. "We have Coke, Sprite, Red Bull, and of course, water…from the tap."

"I'll have a Red Bull."

I scrunch my nose up when I hand it to him. "What?" he asks with a laugh. I shrug. "What's with the face?"

"I don't know how you can drink that."

He pops the can and takes a swig before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "If you don't like it, why do you buy it?"

"I don't. Rose does."

"Ah, I see. She's uh…interesting huh?"

We both sit down on the couch – opposite ends of the couch – and face each other. "She's the best. She's my best friend. She's…" I was going to say all I have, but I stop myself. That would lead to a really weird and intense conversation that somehow doesn't seem appropriate for a stripper to share with her client.

"She's what?"

"All I have." Shit. Well so much for _not_ saying that. I really need to check my brain-to-mouth filter; it's obviously fucking faulty.

He scrunches his face in confusion as he sets his drink down on our old coffee table. "What do you mean she's all you have? You don't have any other friends?"

I swallow down the sob that wants to escape me and instead shake my head. "No." I decide not to elaborate and tell him that I have no family either. The whole _no friends _thing is pathetic enough.

"That seems impossible."

"Why?"

"How could anyone not want to be friends with you?"

_Because all I bring is misery_. "I don't know."

"Well, whoever made you think you're not worthy of friends is fucking stupid."

"No they're not," I say fiercely before reigning in my emotions. "They're just smart," I say softly as I avoid his gaze.

"Bella?" his voice is so soft that I barely hear him.

I look up and see that his face is etched in concern for me. "Hmm?"

"What happened?"

I open my mouth to tell him that he really needs to mind his business, but instead, I cry. It's like a dam burst inside me and I'm completely unable to stop the flow of tears as they cascade down my cheeks.

"Bella!" his voice is panicked and worried and before I know it, I'm in his arms; my head resting against his warm chest.

For some odd reason, I feel comforted enough to downgrade from sobs to sniffles.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Let's get back to our boy, yeah?**

* * *

**EPOV**

Fuck.

She feels so good in my arms. I hate myself for loving this so much, knowing that she's obviously in pain. Thankfully, her sobs have subsided; but she's still crying. "Hey," I say softly, not wanting to startle her. I rub a hand up and down her back, thankful that she changed before we left. I don't think I'd be able to hold her like this with that fucking devil outfit on. I'm barely holding myself together right now and she's just wearing a tank top and those sweatpants with shit written on the back that I always used to hate.

Normally seeing Juicy written across a girl's ass would make me roll my eyes, but if Bella had a pair of those she could wear them, 'cause they'd be nothing but the truth. Thankfully they're not that bad, they just have PINK written across the back.

"I'm sorry," she croaks out, her voice hoarse from crying.

"Why are you sorry?"

She pulls back slightly so she can look at me better. I run my thumb along her cheek, watching in fascination as her cheeks flush with a blush. Damn she's so fucking gorgeous. I know this is probably the worst time to stare at her creepily, but I can't help it. She has the brightest and deepest brown eyes I've ever seen. As cliché and lame as it sounds, I'm pretty sure I'd be happy to just stare at them forever. My dick on the other hand, wants me to focus on her lips. Those goddamn perfectly pink pouty lips that _I know_ taste delicious and feel so soft against mine. I tell him to shut the fuck up and stop being a dick, but ya know; he's a dick.

Her answer brings me out of my crazy thoughts.

"For crying and…just making this more awkward than it already is. I know you didn't shell out thousands of dollars for me to sit on your lap and cry," she laughs and shakes her head, but I can tell that the laugh is fake. "If you give me a few minutes, I'll change and then dance, okay?"

_Fuck_. Don't think with your little head; think with your big head.

My dick grumbles about nothing about him being little and I decide that I need to not refer to my dick as a separate entity anymore before focusing on Bella.

I summon every ounce of strength I possess to say this next sentence. "Bella, I don't want you to do that." It's true…I don't. I mean, of course I _do_, but not like _this_. The whole entire "private dance" thing was never even about a private dance. I was telling the truth earlier when I explained myself to Rosalie. I don't want that from her. At least not like this. I want to _know_ her.

I'm pretty sure she knows this too, which is why she brought it up in the first place. She doesn't want to talk about whatever just made her break the fuck down. Unluckily for her, my brain is more powerful than my dick, and I'm not going to let her duck out of the conversation.

"I want you to tell me what happened to you. Why did you just break down like that?" She tries to stand up, probably ready to fucking run, but I don't let her. I wrap my arms around her waist and hold her to me tightly. "You're not running away and I'm really fucking stubborn…so you might as well tell me."

"I can't," she whispers brokenly, making my heart clench in my chest. "I can't stand to see the look of hatred on your face too. I won't add another person to that list."

"Bella…I could never look at you with hatred. You'll feel better if you tell me. I promise."

She takes a few deep breaths before looking directly into my eyes and nodding. "Okay. It's a long story."

"I have all night."

* * *

**A/N: I know you guys are super stoked for some answers. You'll be getting them next chapter. See you in a bit. :)  
**


	20. Chapter 20

.

.

.

**BPOV**

I can't tell him! He'll hate me. Everyone does once they know.

_Rose doesn't. And who cares if he hates you? You don't even know him!_

After telling my inner voice to shut the fuck up, I take a deep breath. Just say it. That's all. Just say it and get it out there. Edward doesn't push me. He looks at me, giving me a soft smile and waiting for me to tell him. I appreciate it. But it doesn't make it any easier. Edward is obviously a good guy. I mean, who pays_ thousands_ of dollars to just talk to a girl? Not many guys, that's for sure. The fact that Edward is a good person doesn't make it easier to confide in him. It makes it harder. Good people don't like murderers.

I take a deep breath and rush out my confession. "I killed my best friend."

His mouth pops open and his eyes widen. He removes his hand from mine and I immediate feel like I've been slapped from the loss of contact. He searches my face for something before standing up and running his hand through his hair. "Explain please," he practically begs me. He paces back and forth in front of me and after a few minutes of it, I can't take it anymore.

"Please stop pacing. I can't think when you pace like that. You're making me nervous."

His head snaps around and he stares at me as if he's surprised by my presence. _Yeah, he's not taking this well_. He nods and sits beside me, like _right_ beside me and takes my hand again. "Shit. I'm sorry Bella. You're right. Are you ready to explain?" What? Why isn't he screaming at me or better yet, why isn't he running out of here right now? I mean, he just won a nationally televised singing competition that _hundreds of millions_ of people watch. Surely he doesn't want to be associated with a murderer this early in his career?

_This early? I'm pretty sure you never want to be associated with a murderer at any point in any career. _

Shut. Up.

"Why aren't you leaving?"

He scrunches up his nose, looking adorably confused before shaking his head. "Why would I leave? I'm waiting for you to explain. What happened to your best friend and why do you think you're responsible for their death?"

It's my turn to pop my mouth open in shock. Is he for real? "I murdered him! How is that not my responsibility?"

"Bella…" He trails off and pulls me back onto his lap. I snuggle into his chest, loving and enjoying the comfort while it lasts. I know he's just confused right now. Once I explain, he'll run. He'll be gone forever. I don't know why that thought makes me want to cry. He's just a client. Sure, he's not like my _normal _clients…but still; he's just a client. "How did he die?" he asks quietly as he runs his hands over my hair.

"I…we…I have no idea where to start," I whine and shove my face into his neck, greedily breathing in his scent.

"Start at the beginning, okay?"

I nod and take a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I totally intended for this to be the "huge reveal," but you guys have to remember that this is a _drabble_. Sometimes I write way too much per chapter, lol. This was an organic place to split it I think. What do you think happened to her best friend? Who do you think the best friend is? I'd love your theories. ;) Since I said you'd be getting a few chapters today, the next will be up in an hour. I'll see you at 7EST. (And yes we'll finally have Bella's full backstory! KINDA...) xo**


	21. Chapter 21

.

.

.

"Jake is my best friend."

"Is?" Edward interrupts me. "I thought you said he died…" he trails off looking uncomfortable, clearly not wanting to correct me and upset me. It doesn't upset me. Rosalie had the same reaction.

"He didn't physically die." There he goes with the cute scrunched up nose again. I sigh and run my hands through my hair, wiggling around trying to get comfortable on his lap. He groans and helps me readjust until I'm straddling his lap. He places his hands on my hips and gives me an encouraging nod. "He just…I'll start at the beginning okay?" He nods again.

"Jake is my best friend. He has been since I was five. Well, really even before that. Our dads were best friends, so we were kind of best friends by default." He smiles when I giggle a bit, remembering how much I hated him at first. "I didn't want to be his friend; I was kind of forced into it. I didn't have girlfriends. I wasn't very girly since my mom left us when I was born. I was a very big tomboy." I scrunch my nose up this time, realizing how much I've changed over the years.

"Anyway, Jake and I become inseparable and we stayed that way for years and years. Our separation anxiety worsened when my dad died two years ago." I swallow back the lump in my throat. I can't let that sadness overwhelm me. "He had a heart attack." I bite my lip and try not to cry. "Jake tried everything to cheer me up. He fixed up a couple of bikes I bought impulsively because I wouldn't stop begging him to."

I take another shaky breath and Edward gives my hand a squeeze. "So he fixed them up. He spent all of his free time doing it and I spent all of my free time watching him. Spending my days in school and my nights in his garage made dealing with the loss of my dad bearable. I just had to stay occupied, you know?" He nods. "When he fixed them up, we went riding. It was _so_ much fun. For some reason, I felt closer to my dad that way. It's funny because if he saw me on a bike, I know he'd freak the fuck out." We both laugh a little at that.

"One night I was really upset. I don't even remember why. I just felt so shitty and sad and lonely. I'd been staying with Jake and his dad and their house was always packed with people. I wanted to get out of there but it was raining. After a while I couldn't stand it anymore. I ran out of the house and straight into the garage. By the time I was actually on the bike, Jake was there trying to convince me not to go out in the rain. I refused, so he came with me." I swallow back the bile that quickly rises in my throat.

"So we went out for a ride, and I was having so much fun. The wind and the rain made me forget about absolutely everything and I reveled in it. We were riding fast on the 101 when a lumber truck came barreling around a sharp turn, and the driver lost control. He swerved into our lane and hit Jake."

Tears are running down my face now, but I know they won't stop. So I just continue. "He was rushed to a hospital here in Seattle and they were able to save his life…but he has a lot of memory issues. He can't remember anything from before the accident, he has no idea who he is, and has trouble remembering things now. He's in assisted living because his father is in a wheelchair and can't take proper care of him. I visit him every week, but he doesn't remember me half the time, and even when he does, I'm just the pretty girl who visits him sometimes. Jake doesn't exist anymore."

"Bella…"

"So, you see. I killed my best friend."

* * *

**A/N: What do you guys think? I'm not very good with technical medical things, so let's just go with it, yeah? You wanna do that for me? Cool! What do you guys think of the big reveal? There's more to come later, so don't worry! I'll see you at 9. (I gotta watch The Voice. Cassadee ftw!) :)**


	22. Chapter 22

.

.

.

**EPOV**

_Holy fuck_.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting to learn _this much_ about Bella tonight. I mean…she killed her best friend? What the fuck did that mean? Instead of freaking the fuck out and jumping to conclusions, I did what I do best – I paced. I probably paced more than I should have, considering I completely forgot Bella was sitting there.

After sitting the fuck down and letting her finis her explanation, I realize two things: Bella has been through way too fucking much in her short life. And I'm going to do everything in my power to help her from now on. I don't care how long I've known her; I'm going to be there for her, no matter what.

"Bella…"

"So, you see. I killed my best friend."

"You didn't kill him. He might not be…_all there_…but he's alive. That right there is basic proof that he's not dead. You're not a murderer. I don't know anything except for what you've told me, but from what you have? It wasn't your fault that he got hurt. He made the decision to go out with you. That was his choice, not yours."

"I begged him to fix the bikes, I begged him to come out with me that night; if it wasn't for me he'd be fine."

I shake my head. "You can say a ton of "ifs" Bella, but they don't change anything. It still doesn't mean it's your fault."

"You sound like Rosalie."

I grimace at that and she actually cracks a small smile. "Well…that's disturbing. As much as I hate to admit this, maybe Blondie is smart. You can't blame yourself for someone else's decisions."

"Rosalie is smart and I'm sure you are too…but you're both still wrong. It's easy to say that; that I didn't force him. I still put the ideas in his head. If it wasn't for me, he'd still be good old Jake. You don't understand."

She looks like she's going to cry again and I feel fucking useless. "What don't I understand?"

"Billy…Jake's dad and his sisters…they _do_ blame me. They hate me. They have every right to. That's why I left. They couldn't stand to see me in their house when Jake was stuck in the hospital. I couldn't put them through that. I wouldn't make them live with Jake's murderer just because they felt bad that poor Bella Swan had nowhere to go."

"They blamed you?" I ask angrily. How could they do that to her? To make her feel like this was her fault?

"They didn't say it, but I saw it in their faces. I could barely breathe with the guilt I was feeling. I had to get out. So I came here and I met Rose. When I found out that Jake had to be moved into an assisted living facility…Rose got me the job. But they needed the money upfront. So…Aro helped me."

A sinking feeling hits my stomach instantly at the mention of his fucking name. "How did he help you?"

"He loaned me the money. I told him I'd pay him back by working at the club. I've almost paid it all back…but that was just for the first year. Jake hasn't gotten much better. He could recover…but it's not looking good."

Fuck. No wonder that asshole acts like he's owns her.

"So…you've almost paid him off, but you're going to have to make another deal with him for more money?" She nods. "Does he know what the money is for?"

Her eyes widen and she rapidly shakes her head. "No! He can't know Edward. Please promise me that you won't tell him!" She grabs the sides of my face, frantically searching my eyes.

"I won't tell him Bella," I respond calmly as I run my hands up and down her thighs.

"Okay," she says with a nod. "I'm sorry. He just…already has so much power over me. If he knew how important this money was…he'd be a lot worse."

"What does he do?"

"Well tonight for example. He made me work when I'm not supposed to work on Friday nights." I raise a questioning eyebrow so she continues. "If I work Friday, I don't get home until almost three in the morning. Getting home so late gives me no time to sleep, which means I can't get up at five in the morning to make it down to Forks in time for visiting hours. Saturday is the only day I can see him." She looks so fucking sad.

Fuck. I look at my watch and see that it's almost two right now. "Go to sleep Bella."

She gives me the most adorably confused look. "What?"

"Go to sleep. Don't worry," I say with a smile as I lay her down. "You're safe here with me. Just get some rest. We've got a drive ahead of us."

"What are you talking about Edward?"

"I'm making sure you get to Forks, Bella."

* * *

**A/N: Don't worry. All of your questions will be answered in due time. What are some of your burning questions? ;) **


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Some of your PMs make me laugh. I know that some drabble fics are like 100 words per chapter. I just…can't make myself stop writing. I'm lucky if I get away with staying under 500, okay? I'm trying! Lots of questions were answered last chapter for some while others had more. I promise you'll get your answers as the story progresses!**

* * *

**BPOV**

Is he serious?

He gently lays me down on the couch, hovering over my body. "What do you mean?" I ask quietly, trying to quell down the hope that's building in my heart. Could I really get to see him this weekend after all? _Stop_! I can't trust Edward. I don't even know him.

"You're going to get some sleep. I'm going to stay here. And in a few hours, we're both going to go to Forks together."

"Edward…"

"No Bella. Please don't argue with me. If you…if you don't want me to stay here, I'll call a cab and go to my hotel and come back." I don't want to make him go all the way back to his hotel just to come back in a couple of hours.

My hand reaches up and touches his face on its own accord, and both of our eyes widen at the contact. We stare at each other for a few seconds before Edward's eyes close slowly as he lets out a content sounding sigh. I run my thumb along his lips and gasp when he flicks his tongue out against the pad of my thumb.

His eyes open when I gasp, which doesn't help me catch my breath, because his eyes look like liquid fire. "Bella…" he sighs out my name. I let my fingers ghost over his skin until my hand is planted in his hair and before I know what's happening, his lips are on mine.

He kisses me gently, softly pressing his delicious lips against mine with the slightest bit of pressure. He moves to pull back so I grip his hair, holding his lips to mine, not ready to let go yet.

"Bella," he murmurs against my lips. "I need to stop now or I won't be able to fucking stop."

"I don't care. I don't want you to."

* * *

**A/N: I have a few more chapters written for today that I'll be posting when I can. These next few days are going to be busy for me with Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Overeating and greedy shoppers, yeah murrica! Lol**


	24. Chapter 24

.

.

.

**EPOV**

_Is she trying to kill me_?

I close my eyes tightly, trying to find some sort of self-control as she grips my hair and holds me to her lips. I decide to scare her a bit, just so she'll back off. She needs to know how weak my control is right now.

"Bella," I say against her lips. "I need to stop now or I won't be able to fucking stop."

I expect her to gasp or for her eyes to widen. Hell, I expect her to push me away and call me a pig. Does she do any of those things? No, of course fucking not.

"I don't care. I don't want you to."

_Yeah, definitely trying to fucking kill me_.

"Shit," I mutter before crushing my lips against hers. I kiss her hungrily, sliding my tongue through her lips eagerly when she gasps and accidentally gives me access. _Fuck_. I swear nothing has ever tasted as good as she does. I groan and press my body down against hers, pissed and ecstatic at the same time when she opens her legs and wraps them around my waist. She whimpers, and even though I know it's not a sad whimper, it reminds me of her tears.

I summon every single ounce of self-control I have and pull my lips from hers. "Bella we need to stop." My tone is firm, causing her to finally stop and examine my face.

"Why? Don't you want me?" Her voice cracks slightly and I roll my eyes at her.

"Do you not feel how much I want you?" I grind myself into her, 'cause I'm a masochistic bastard. We both gasp and I swear my fucking eyes cross, that's how good it feels. "Trust me Bella; I want you more than anything in this fucking world. But…" I place my forehead against hers. "If we don't stop, we won't sleep. And no sleep means no trip to Forks. I know how much it means to you. Let me make sure you get there okay?"

She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. I watch her visibly swallow and I know she's trying not to cry. "Okay," she croaks out. "Will you stay with me?"

"Yeah I'll stay. Sleep Bella. I'm not going anywhere."

I wish I could tell her that I don't mean for just tonight. I'm not going anywhere, ever. Instead of saying that out loud and scaring the fuck out of her, I press my lips against her forehead before settling down against her chest.

* * *

**A/N: Aw. Edward owns me! I'll see you in a few hours for the road trip! :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! I'm just now recovering from Thanksgiving and Black Friday, lol. I was out on Black Friday with friends from midnight til about seven in the morning…and I've been in a coma ever since. I made a huge dent in my Christmas list though, so it was worth it! How was your holiday? I hope it was amazing! Let's get back to the story, yeah? :)**

* * *

**BPOV**

I close my gaping mouth and face Edward. "This is what we're driving to Forks?"

He rubs the back of his neck and shrugs. "Well, yeah. This is what my brother got us. I guess he called in a favor to get them here on such short notice. And well, _we're_ not driving, he is."

Just then a massive man exits the limo. Yes, the fucking _limo_. We're heading to Forks in a limo. I almost laugh at the ridiculousness. "Hello Mr. Cullen," the man says with a respectful nod of his head. "Are you ready to go?"

"Could you give us a second, Felix? We're fine to get in on our own." Felix chuckles and nods before getting back into the driver's side without another word. Edward turns to face me with a small smile on his lips. "I know this seems outrageous, but I promise it's not. This isn't about 'driving in style' or anything," he says, complete with air quotes. "My brother Jasper is also my manager, and he just called in a favor to the label. Felix is my driver when I need one. Jasper just figured we'd both still be exhausted and would rather be driven than drive ourselves. Is this okay?"

"Uh…" I trail off, actually thinking about it. "Yeah, it's fine." What else am I going to do? Deny a free ride in a limo? No. I could actually use a few more hours of sleep.

Edward holds out his hand to me and I take it easily, letting him help me into the limo. He climbs in after me, shutting the door softly and raising his arm along the back of the seat. I snuggle into his side and smile when he wraps his arm around my shoulder. "Are you sure this is okay?" he asks against my hair. I can feel his lips there, sending tingles all along my body with the simple contact.

I sigh and answer truthfully before burrowing into his neck. "Yeah, this is more than okay."

* * *

**A/N: I'm getting better at drabbling, lol. Two more updates today.**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: I've been asked if I'm going to keep switching back and forth between BPOV/EPOV and I have no real answer for that except I'm not intending for on chapter to be Edward and the next Bella. The point of view will just depend on who is talking to me at the time lol.**

* * *

**EPOV**

I wouldn't have been able to tell you the last time I've ever felt content, until now. Sitting in a confined space, feeling Bella's warm body against mine, and smelling her scent all around me for the past three hours has been the most content I've ever felt in my entire life. I'm pretty sure this even tops the time I broke my arm and my mom made me cookies every night for dinner for an entire week to cheer me up.

The privacy barrier lowers and I spot Felix's smiling face before he speaks. "Sir? We're going to arrive at your destination in about five minutes."

I roll my eyes and shake my head. "Felix, how many times do I have to tell you, call me_ Edward_. I won't respond to Sir or Mr. Cullen." He sighs and chuckles before rolling the privacy barrier back up.

I squeeze Bella to me tightly, enjoying her closeness for a few more seconds. I take a big whiff of her hair like the creepy asshole I am before I pull back slightly to kiss her forehead gently. "Bella?" I whisper her name softly, hoping to wake her up without scaring the shit out of her. She stirs and grumbles, making me laugh. She seriously isn't a morning person. "We're here Bella. You need to wake up now, okay?" This makes her instantly alert.

She jumps up, unfortunately pulling away from me as she takes in her surroundings. Understanding dawns in her eyes after a few seconds and she gives me a sheepish smile before surprising the shit out of me and snuggling against my chest – for the second time. I smile against her hair, happy that she's comfortable enough with me to initiate physical comfort.

"Thank you for doing this," she mumbles against my chest, her voice still full of sleep. I shrug and she pulls back, tracing her fingers on my chin with whisper-like touches. I try to hold back the gasp tha wants to escape. Such a little touch makes me think so many _dirty_ thoughts. "I'm serious Edward," she smiles up at me. "You have no idea how much this means to me to be able to see him today. I thought I'd have to go another whole week before I'd see him."

Now I feel like an asshole. Here she is; excited to see her friend that she cares so deeply for, and here I am; being a fucking pervert.

I give her a small smile. "You're welcome," _There's just a possibility that I'll be late for my only brother's wedding and end up dead in a ditch because his future wife will murder me_. "It was no big deal."

"It's a big deal to me."


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: I feel bad that I've had to do these a/n's explaining why stuff is late more than once, but it has to be done. I'm sorry this is late! I've had some family troubles that I'm working through right now. I will try to keep up with the twice a day thing, but it might have to dwindle down to once a day for the rest of this week at least, but I will update once a day! You're getting two chapters tonight. Thank you for your support. xo**

* * *

**BPOV**

"Wow! Bella! Hi!" Angela exclaims before making her way around the reception desk. "We weren't expecting you today." She hugs me tightly, giving me an extra squeeze before releasing me. She looks past me. I smirk when her eyes widen slightly and her face flushes. I guess Edward has that effect on everyone. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

_That's called jealously, honey._

I really hate my inner voice, she's such a bitch.

_It takes one to know one_.

And I guess she's also five years old.

"Hello," Edward's voice pulls me out of the craziness in my head. "I'm Edward Cullen, a friend of Bella's."

"I…I know who you are," Angela stutters as she takes his hand. "Wow," she breathes. Her face brightens with a blush when she realizes she said it out loud.

Edward doesn't miss a beat. He smiles sweetly and kisses her hand. "It's very nice to meet you Angela."

"You too," she replies with a glazed look in her eyes.

"Ahem," I cough to bring her back to reality. I'm almost positive she was off in Edward land.

"Oh!" she exclaims, releasing his hand and taking a step back. "Right. Sorry. Um…would you like to see Jake?" I have a strong urge to give her my signature "fucking duh" look, but I like Angela, so instead I just smile and nod.

"Okay, let's go! He's been asking about you a lot lately." She gives me an enthusiastic smile and I try to return it. When hers disappears, I'm sure my smile was nothing more than a worried grimace.

My heart is hammering so hard in my chest by the time we reach his door, I'm almost sure it's going to burst. When it opens and I see his smiling face, hope bursts throughout me instead.


	28. Chapter 28

.

.

.

**EPOV**

I watch Bella timidly follow Angela into the room. Using my position behind them, I take in my surroundings; the room is not what I expected it to be. It looks like a little studio apartment; one big room complete with a small kitchen and en suite bathroom.

"Jake!" Angela exclaims happily. "Look who came to see you!"

Jake stands and _holy shit_, he's big. Like…Emmett big. The kid has to be at least 6'3 and to say he's jacked would be a fucking understatement. I'd think he was older if it wasn't for the young smiling face framed by long black hair. His eyes widen as he takes us in before he nods and waves almost shyly. Seeing a man of his size be anything but strong and cocky is a little unnerving.

"Well," Angela says as she looks between us, "I'll leave you to it."

The room is silent for a full minute before anyone says anything. And that someone? Yeah it's me. "Uh…hi. Jake, right?" He takes a small step forward and juts out his chin in greeting. "Yeah, so um, I'm Edward." I extend my hand, hoping it won't freak him out or some shit. He takes it easily enough, gripping it with a firm shake.

"Nice to meet you Edward," he answers in a deep voice. "I don't mean to be rude," his cheeks turn slightly pink as he shoves his hands in his pockets, "but uh, do I know you?"

Oh shit, right.

"Ah fuck, right. Sorry," I give him a small smile and run a hand through my hair. This is so fucking _awkward_! Why isn't Bella saying anything? Right! Bella! Fucking duh. "I'm a friend of Bella's." I wait for him to say something, but he doesn't. "Um, Bella?" I ask as I turn to face her, giving her a pleading look. _Hello_! I'm sinking here.

Her lip quivers and she shakes her head slightly, not offering anything more.

Out of my peripheral vision I see Jake take a few steps toward us. "Hey," he says happily. "I'm Jake." He holds his hand out to Bella. "You're Bella?"

Bella doesn't answer and she doesn't take his hand. She turns around and runs right out of the room.

_Fuck_.

* * *

**A/N: Poor B! :(**


	29. Chapter 29

.

.

.

**BPOV**

"Bella!" I hear Edward calling my name but I don't stop running. I keep running until fresh air fills my lungs. I lean against a random car and continue to gasp for air. "Bella," Edward's winded voice fills my ears. "What the hell?" he sounds part irritated and part concerned.

I look up at him, taking in his handsome worried face and try to give him a weak smile while I shrug. "I'm sorry. I couldn't stand to be in there one more second."

"Why?" he asks, clearly confused.

"He doesn't remember me," I answer sadly, staring at the ground instead of his gorgeous green eyes. "Angela told me that he did, and I'm sure he did at some point today, but it never lasts. It's stupid but, for some reason I thought it would this time." I shake my head. "This is why he has to stay here. He doesn't remember anyone; even his own family."

"He knew his name was Jake."

"For now," I reply dryly as my tears well up. "I'm sure Angela worked with him on it as well. Remembering his name is one of the easiest things for him to accept and remember for a good period of time. It usually takes me about three hours to jog his memories of me. And that's on a good day."

"Well, let's go then."

"I'm not leaving!" I yell suddenly, causing his eyes to widen.

"Bella I wasn't talking about leaving. I meant let's get back in there. We have a few hours before we need to get back."

"What do you need to get back for?"

"Nothing important, just my brother's wedding."

My eyes nearly bug out of my head. _Holy shit_. Last night was his brother's bachelor party. Of course the wedding would be this weekend! "Edward! Oh my God, we need to leave _right now_. You're going to be late!"

"It isn't until tonight," he argues, "and I just need to be there an hour before the wedding. Alice may just kill me, that's all."

"Who's Alice?"

"The bride."

"Jesus Christ Edward."

"I think I know a way to keep her from killing me, but I'm going to need your help."

"How can_ I_ help?"

"Be my date."


	30. Chapter 30

.

.

.

"Be your date?" I ask when I finally pick my jaw up off the ground. He nods his head, avoiding my stare before shoving one hand in his hair and the other in his pocket. I see him bite his lip as he waits for me to continue. "You don't have a date already?" I ask incredulously.

His eyes snap to mine. "No. Why are you saying it like that's unbelievable?"

"Because it is!"

"Why?"

"You're Edward Cullen."

"So?"

"So."

"That means nothing," he says with a shrug. "You didn't even know who I was when you first met me."

I roll my eyes at him. "I'm probably the only girl in the world who didn't know."

"Probably," he says with a shrug. "But you still shoved your tongue down my throat." He smirks and winks, causing me to blush and giggle; forgetting the awfulness of a few minutes ago.

"Well, yeah, look at you." I answer as my cheeks tinge pink.

"Are you saying I'm sexy?" he asks with a smile as he pushes me gently against the car behind me. He presses his body up against mine and whispers in my ear. "Because I think you're pretty sexy. I think you'd look fucking great in a dress. Will you be my date?"

"I…um…I don't know."

"Pleeaasee Bella?" he asks sweetly. I shiver as his breath washes over my ear. I swallow audibly before looking up into his eyes. He looks so cute, smiling down at me like that with his hopeful bright green eyes. "I'd really love for you to come. It'll be fun."

I bite my lip, about to say yes, when I remember something that makes my stomach sink. "I have to work tonight," I frown. I watch as Edward's features instantly change from hopefulness to anger. "I'm sorry," I say quickly, hoping to ease his discomfort. "I really _do_ want to go." It's the truth. "But Aro won't allow me to miss work because I _am_ scheduled for Saturday nights. Plus it's when I make the most money. I need to pay him back."

"Fuck that. I'll pay."


	31. Chapter 31

.

.

.

**EPOV**

The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. Her eyes widen and her mouth pops open in surprise. Her eyes flare with some indistinguishable emotion before her facial expression settles on…furious. _Shit_.

"Excuse me?" she asks as she pushes my body away from hers. That's not a good sign. "What did you just say?"

"I…um…I…"

"Come on Edward. Big man," she pokes me in my chest with her finger, digging a perfectly manicured nail into my skin hard enough that I feel it through my t-shirt. "Tell me what you said."

I take a deep breath and cover my balls nonchalantly. Her eyes follow my hand and she smirks. I guess I wasn't as nonchalant as I thought. "I said…I'll pay for it." I wince, bracing myself for imminent bodily harm. When nothing happens, I crack one eye open and see her staring at me…just staring.

It doesn't relieve my worry; it actually makes me worry more. Women do this thing best: the calm before the storm. "Bella?" I ask quietly, worried that my voice might set her the fuck off. "Are you okay?"

"You…" she trails off, looking more and more confused as the seconds tick by._ At least she doesn't look like she's gonna castrate me_. That's a step in the right direction…right?

"Bella?" Angela's voice startles both of us. "Are you okay?" she asks as she rushes toward us. "I'm so sorry! He was doing so well this morning and I was so upset that you weren't here to witness it; so when I saw you show up…I got ahead of myself. I should've checked on him before I brought you back there. He's a little upset…mostly because he upset you and he doesn't know why. Would you mind coming in and going through your process? If you can't I totally get it."

Damn. I'm pretty sure she just said all of that in one fucking breath.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute," Bella says with no hesitation.

"Okay," Angela gives her a small smile before disappearing back inside the building.

"Bella-"

"Not now Edward."

She doesn't say another word. She walks right past me, shoving me slightly.

Shit.

I'm in trouble.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Let's see what Bella's thinking, k?**

* * *

**BPOV**

Who the fuck does he think he is? Honestly…he thinks he can just…waltz into my life…and…

_Be nice? Like you? Be a friend? Help you? How dare he!_

I ignore my inner voice's sarcasm and storm through the building, letting my thoughts fuel my anger.

He doesn't want to help me; he wants to _control_ my life like every other man I've known over the last year. He thinks he can just slap down some of his money and make everything the way he wants it to be? Who died and made him king?

When I reach Jake's door, I take a deep breath, trying to dispel the rage inside me. It actually takes about five deep breaths for it to wane at all. I feel like a bitch when I realize that – even though I'm pissed at him – I've basically ditched Edward in a town he doesn't really know.

When the door opens to a confused Jake – I forget about Edward. Okay, that's a lie. I don't forget about him; I don't think I could if I fucking tried. Instead, I send all thoughts of him to the back of my mind.

"Hello," Jake's timid voice breaks my thoughts up. "I'm really sorry for hurting your feelings Bella. Um…did I do something wrong?" he frowns and runs a hand through his long black hair. He used to have one long braid down his back; I'd always make fun of him and call him Pocahontas. I giggle at the memory and his frown deepens.

"Sorry, um, I'm not laughing at you. I just remembered a funny joke."

"Oh yeah?" he asks with a small smile. "Tell me?"

"Maybe later," I shake my head. "Would it be okay if I came in and talked to you for a few minutes?"

He hesitates and it breaks my heart. After a few seconds he shrugs and nods, stepping back and extending an arm for me to enter.

I walk through the threshold, preparing myself for the heartache that I'm sure to endure over the next few hours.


	33. Chapter 33

.

.

.

**BPOV**

After reliving every painful detail of the accident, I feel like I'm going to be sick – it's the same feeling I've endured every single time. Jake is silent and still throughout it as always. I'm not expecting him to say anything, it usually takes him about an hour to process and actually _believe_ me.

Jake surprises me by laughing. I frown at him, not knowing why he's laughing. "What's so funny?" I ask in a slightly irritated tone.

"Sorry. I just remembered something funny." He cracks a smile small and rubs his neck. "Did you uh…have you ever skinny dipped?"

I feel my face heat with my traitorous blush. "Yeah," I mumble without meeting his eyes. His boisterous laughter makes me look up. I glare at his smiling happy face. I should be ecstatic that he's recalling a memory so early, but I'm just pissed that that is the memory his brain chooses to remember.

"Sorry," he says after he's sobered up. "It was just a funny memory. I didn't mean to upset you." Shit. Now he feels bad for something we should all be celebrating.

"No, it's okay. Skinny dipping and being caught by my police chief father is a pretty funny memory." I roll my eyes at the memory. Jake and I had thought it would be hilarious to skinny dip in our teacher's backyard pool when we were in our early teens. Unfortunately for us, she'd been secretly dating…_you guessed it_…my dad. He caught us naked and swimming in his secret girlfriend's pool.

The worst part? He was wearing his gun belt.

_And nothing else_.

I cringe and laugh as the image fills my mind. Jake and I had almost had a heart attack, but I'm pretty sure my dad actually had one.

He was furious at what we were doing while also being furious that he got caught. I'm not sure who he was more pissed at: us or himself; us for breaking into a teacher's house and skinny dipping in her pool or himself for fucking said teacher.

"Do you remember anything else?" I ask quietly.

He bites his lip and shrugs. "Bits and pieces. Does um…does my family come to see me?"

It's my turn to bite my lip. "I don't know. I don't talk to them."

"Why?" he asks with a confused expression.

"They hate me Jake, and you should too. This is all my fault."


	34. Chapter 34

.

.

.

"You're fault?" Jake's eyebrows scrunch together. "What's your fault?"

"This!" I shout, feeling extremely frustrated, flailing my arms around. "Everything!" I reach out and take his hand, silently happy that he doesn't pull away from me. "Don't you see Jake? _You're_ in_ here_ because of _me_."

His eyes widen. "Bella," he sighs and pulls me toward his bed in the corner. We sit down together and he places our joined hands on his thigh. We both stare at our interlocking fingers as he gathers his thoughts. "None of this is your fault," he says quietly. He looks up at me, staring directly into my eyes. "You didn't force me to do anything. I'm a person who makes my own choices. I…" he stops and shakes his head, smiling slightly.

"What?"

"How many times have I explained this to you?"

I frown as I think. "I don't know, a lot; pretty much every weekend for months."

He's still smiling slightly, but I see the corners of his mouth turn into a frown as he looks down. When he looks back up, I gasp. His expression is the saddest I've ever seen. "Bella…" his eyes fill with tears and I quickly try to get as close as I can to him; which ends up being on his lap.

"Why are you crying?" my voice cracks as I ask the question that I'm not entirely sure I want the answer to.

"I feel terrible. I'm ruining your life. Maybe I should have just..._died_ out there."

"What?" I shriek as I jump off his lap. "What are you talking about?" In all of the months and all of the times we've gone through this...Jake has _never_ said anything like that.

"Look at you Bells," the use of my nickname makes me smile despite everything. "You're guilt-ridden because I'm in this place. You visit me every weekend right?" I nod. "And you make me remember every weekend?" I nod again. "So you come here every single weekend and spend your whole Saturday with me and sometimes I d_on't even remember_ you. But yet…you deal with all of that plus live with what happened every day and blame yourself. How is that fair? It'd be better if I had died."

"No Jake," I say as tears run down my cheeks. "I would feel a millions times worse if I was responsible for your death. I feel like…I feel like I killed you already."

"I'm not dead Bells. I'm in here," he points to his heart. "I just have to work on getting back here permanently," he points to his head. "If I promise to try my hardest to get better, will try your hardest to forgive yourself?"

"Do you forgive me?" I ask quietly.

"There's nothing to forgive you for. Every single time you've told me and made me remember…did I ever blame you?"

"No."

"Exactly."

* * *

**A/N: Is Bella having a slight breakthrough...is Jake?**


	35. Chapter 35

**We'll get back to Bella next chapter. Let's check on Edward, yeah?**

**EPOV**

I decide to not chase Bella back into the building; I wanna keep my balls, ya know? Instead I head back to the car, nodding a silent hello to Felix who's sitting on the hood. He stands quickly, resorting into some sort of military post.

"I'm not the fucking Queen of England," I snap more harshly than I intended. He doesn't get offended; instead he just smirks at me. "Sorry," I say quietly as I take his spot on the hood. "I'm a little tense right now."

"S'okay Boss," he shrugs. "You wanna talk about it?"

I shake my head. "Nah but thanks though."

He nods and pulls out a cigarette. I look at it longingly and he chuckles. "Shit, sorry. I forgot you quit."

I bark out a laugh full of frustration and want. "It's fine," I lie. "Hey, I'm gonna go for a walk. If Bella comes back out here can you just let her know that I'll be back? Don't let her leave."

He nods. "Will do Sir." I glare at him and he smirks. "Okay Edward."

"Thanks," I mutter before sticking my hands in my pockets and walking away.

I walk for a few blocks, admiring the small town as I walk through its deserted streets. I spot a coffee shop and duck inside, realizing I'm craving caffeine almost as much as nicotine. "Hello, welcome to Beans, what can I get you?" The girl behind the counter asks without looking up.

"I'll just have a large black coffee."

Her head snaps up and her eyes widen when they settle on my face. Shit. I know that look.

"_Oh my fucking GAWD_! You're Edward Cullen! Holy fucking shit! What the hell are you doing in _Forks_? I mean I know your family is from Seattle but seriously WHAT THE EFF! I can't believe you're here. Oh my God. I voted for you like, a million times."

I swear to fucking Christ the chick said that shit in one fucking breath. Teenage girls must have steel lungs or some shit. I need to handle this just right or I'm going to have a really annoying situation on my hands. I'm not a conceited prick, thinking that I can cause some sort of riot or some shit; but honestly I _could_. And trust me, I fucking hate it.

"Um yeah, I'm here." I roll my eyes at my lame response. In my defense, teenage fan girls creep me the fuck out. I scratch my neck, feeling itchy all over already. "I'm visiting a friend that's all. How about that coffee?" I give her my most charming smile and watch in amusement as a pink blush covers her cheeks.

"Oh! Right. Sorry." She quickly rushes around getting my drink and holds it out to me with shaking hands when it's complete. "Here you go Mr. Cullen."

I barely resist rolling my eyes. "Call me Edward."

"Oh wow!" she breathes as her eyes widen. "O-okay Edward." She smiles at me sweetly and I give her my crooked grin back. She gasps and starts squealing, scaring the ever-loving-shit out of me.

A few people turn toward us and when I spot a gaggle for more teenage girls in a corner, I try to diffuse the situation. "Hey, um…" I look at her name tag. "Bree. Do you think you could be a little quiet? I'd rather not everyone know that I'm here, you know?" I smile at her and send a wink her way. She squeals again. Shit. I'm a fucking idiot. "Bree. How about I get you an autograph?"

"And a picture?" she squeals.

I hear the girls behind me making their way over and before I can stop them, they're all screaming, sending the rest of the coffee shop into a curious tizzy. _I'm fucked_.

**A/N: LOL poor Edward is always fucked or in deep shit! Quick, someone save him. *scans the crowd for Bella* Oh well, she's not here. I guess I'll have to rescue him. ;)**


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of new chapters yesterday! As I've said before – my home life is hectic right now. I don't have much free time. I'm going to try and get a few chapters prewritten today so hopefully it won't happen too often! Thank you to those of you who review every chapter, it makes me so smile so much! To those of you who don't, that's okay with me. I hope you **_**do**_** review when something makes you laugh or smile or if there's just something you really love.**

**BPOV**

* * *

"Hey…Felix?"

He looks up at me and smiles, folding the paper he'd been reading before tucking it under his arm. "Yes Ms. Swan?"

I blush annoyingly and shake my head. "Please call me Bella. I'd feel more comfortable."

"Of course Bella," he agrees easily with a smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Uh…do you…um…know where Edward is?"

He nods and smiles. "He took a walk. He told me to tell you that he'd be right back and to not go anywhere. Are you about done for the day?"

"Yes."

Jake and I had spent the next hour talking after he somewhat convinced me that this all wasn't my fault. He had made a good point, asking me how I expected him to try his best to remember if I didn't try my best to forgive. We'd come to an agreement that during the next week we'd both try our very hardest to keep our promises to each other.

Hopefully Aro lets me resume my previous schedule. If I can't visit Jake…I don't know what I'll do. I feel like we both made so much progress today. I don't want to miss a visit and ruin it.

Felix's phone ringing brings me out of my thoughts. "Hello?" he asks quietly. I watch his eyebrows rise. "Mr. Cullen? What's wrong?" In seconds he's no longer leaning against the hood of the car; he's on his feet looking around, fully on alert. "Where are you? Yes she's right here. Okay, I'll be there soon."

"What's wrong?" I ask as the anxiety bubbles up inside of me. "Is Edward okay?" God, if something's happened to him because I was a bitch and ditched him…I'll never forgive myself.

"Yes, he's fine. There's an um…incident though. He needs my help."

"Where is he?"

"At a coffee shop, do you know where it is? Shit! I didn't even get the name. It can't be far though."

I smile in spite of my anxiety. "Felix, this is Forks. There's only one coffee shop and everything is pretty much a five minute walk."

"Right," he says with a nod. "So can you come with me and show me where it is?"

I frown as I think. "I actually think it would be a lot faster if we walked. It's literally a block away, and it'd take more time to drive because that's a one way street," I explain with a nod of my head toward the street I'm talking about.

"Shit," he mutters. "I'll need the car to remove him quickly."

"What is going on?"

"Fangirls," he says with a look of dread on his face.

It takes everything in me to not burst out laughing.

* * *

**A/N: Seems like our girl isn't too worried eh? Lol**


	37. Chapter 37

.

.

.

**EPOV**

"Edward! Edward! I LOVE YOU!"

I back up until my ass hits the counter. With nowhere else to go, I brace myself for the onslaught. I hold up my hands, signaling for quiet. The small movement does the opposite of what I intend. Instead of everyone quieting down so I can fucking speak, they freak the fuck out and start squealing and moving closer to me.

"Hey!" I shout above the ear piercing screams. "Everyone…quiet!" Surprisingly, it works. I stand there, saying absolutely nothing because I'm too fucking shocked to even speak. When I finally gather my wits and open my mouth to speak, I hear the bells above the door ring…that's how fucking quiet it is.

I look toward the door, fully expecting more girls to rush in. Instead it's just one girl, my girl. "Fuck," I breathe out in relief. "Bella!" I shout and wave, signaling for her to come over. When she's close enough, I grab her, hugging her to me tightly, completely forgetting our audience. "Thank fuck you're here. Save me."

"Who the hell is that?"

"Why is he hugging her?"

"That bitch better back of my man!"

"Oh shit. Bella," I grab her face in between my hands. "We need to get out of here. We need to run."

She smirks at me before bursting out into a huge fit of laughter. "Oh my God," she gasps out in between giggles. "Edward, they're only teenage girls!"

One of the girls closest to Bella hears her and I pull Bella behind me just in time to save her face from the girl's hand. Bitch.

"Don't you dare try to touch her," I say menacingly, not caring that half of the girls have their cell phones out and are probably recording every single word I've said. "Keep your fucking hands to yourself. Understand me?" Her lip quivers and I feel bad for an instant – until I remember what she just tried to do.

When I make a move, the other girls start screaming. I'm sure they're hoping to get my attention and are probably completely oblivious to what just happened toward the front of the crowd. "Edward, can I get your autograph?"

I'm not sure who asked me, and I don't care right now. "No you fucking can't," I yell back over my shoulder before flipping the teenagers the bird.

Fuck it.

* * *

**A/N: Uh oh. **


	38. Chapter 38

.

.

.

"Just drive Felix, please." Edward's tone is curt and tense, causing Felix's eyebrows to pull together. Edward notices it as well and runs his hand through his hair. "Fuck," he mutters. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be a prick. I just…I need to get away."

"You got it Boss. Are you done here Bella?" he asks me with a raised eyebrow.

Edward's head spins around quickly, his eyes snapping to mine. "I'm an asshole!" he yells to no one in particular. "I'm sorry Bella. Are you done? Do you need to go back inside?" he points his thumb back toward the building. "I'll wait out here if you two aren't done yet. I wasn't even thinking…"

"Edward, it's fine. Relax please."

He blows out a breath and nods to Felix. He rolls up the privacy barrier and drives off.

The silence that fills the car as we leave Forks feels incredibly suffocating. "Edward…are you okay?" I ask quietly, not wanting to disturb his almost tranquil state.

"Yeah," he says without opening his eyes. "I'm sorry about all of the fucking freak outs today. Especially with all the shit you've gone through today." He finally opens his eyes and slowly turns his head to face me. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I answer with a nod of my head. "We made some serious progress today." I smile at him slightly. "I hope it'll last. I'm just worried."

"About?"

"Not being able to visit next weekend."

He frowns in confusion. "Why wouldn't you be able to? You usually don't work Fridays right?" I nod. "So why wouldn't it go back to being that way now?"

I shrug. "I don't know. Aro might make me continue working on Friday nights just because he can." I roll my eyes. "He's an asshole like that."

"You'll be able to visit Bella. I promise."

"Why? Because you're going to pay off my debt?" I ask coldly, narrowing my eyes at him.

"I…um…no…well…"

I stop his stuttering with a wave of my hand. "I don't want to argue right now."

"Okay," he agrees easily. "So…are you ready to find your dress?"


	39. Chapter 39

.

.

.

Her beautiful face is a mask of confusion as she processes my question. "What?" she asks with a frown. "What dress?"

"For the wedding," I say matter-of-factly with a shrug of my shoulders. "Obviously anything that isn't white." I give her my most charming smile, but it seems to have no effect on her as she narrows her beautiful brown eyes at me. "What?" I ask innocently.

"I'm not going to the wedding with you Edward. I never agreed to that." She narrows her eyes at me. "I said I didn't want to argue, and yet here you are, bringing up the same conversation we just avoided."

"Um…what?"

She rolls her eyes at me and huffs. "I have to work tonight, remember? And you think you can just pay off my massive debt to Aro so I don't have to work tonight and can be your personal whore." She suddenly stops talking and her mouth pops open, like she's surprised by the word she just said.

"What?" I ask incredulously. "What did you just say?"

"I…nothing."

"Did you just call yourself my personal whore?"

Her face reddens and she nods slowly. "I didn't mean to say that."

"You better fucking not have." I grab her hand and pull her closer to me. When she's close enough, I grab her hips and easily lift her tiny body until she's settled on top of me. "You aren't my whore. You are not anyone's whore. Do you got that?" She bites her lip but says nothing. "Bella…I don't think that of you. You know that right?" She nods. "I just don't want to be away from you. I know that sounds creepy as fuck, but it's true."

"That's not creepy," she says in a small voice. "It's sweet. But Edward…I need to work. I need to pay him off."

"And how long is that going to take, huh?" I ask sharper than I meant to. "I'm sorry," I apologize quickly. "It's just…fuck. I know you don't like working there, and he's going to keep fucking with you. I want to pay it off for you."

"That would just be trading in one debt for another Edward. But in some ways it'd be a worse debt to have with you because I wouldn't have a way to pay you back."

"You don't have to pay me back."

Instead of smiling like you'd think she would, she scowls and tries to get off my lap. I hold her to me firmly. "Stop," I say firmly, causing her to still for a second. "I'm sorry." She's too proud to just let someone help her. Or maybe she just doesn't trust me yet. Maybe she thinks I'll try to take advantage of her? Fuck if I know. "How about um…you work for me?"

"Work for you?" she asks skeptically.

I roll my eyes. "Well I don't want you to be my sex slave or anything." She gasps and I quickly look at her, hoping I didn't offend her. I expect to find her scowling and pissed but she looks…damn she looks turned on. Holy fuck that's sexy. I cough and continue. "I meant maybe you could be my assistant? I really fucking need one. What do you say?"

* * *

**A/N: I'll be your assistant Edward! I'm very good at soaping up naked bodies in showers so…that can be my first task! Lol**


	40. Chapter 40

.

.

.

**BPOV**

I watch Edward's face closely, trying to figure out how full of shit he is. What the hell am I supposed to do as his assistant? I mean…seriously. To me, this seems like he's just grasping at straws right now, trying to find out some way to control me. I know it might seem stupid…but that's usually how guys treat me. "Your assistant?" I question. "What am I supposed to do as your assistant?"

"Assist me," he smiles cockily at me. "With you know…shit I need assistance with."

"You have no idea, do you?"

He sighs and scrubs a hand down his face. "No. I don't. Okay? I have no clue what an assistant does. All I do know is that since the show's been over, all everyone's been telling me is that I _need_ an assistant. I've been putting it off, because _fuck_, I don't want some weird ass stranger spending every waking moment with me. That's just…" he shudders and I giggle. "Don't laugh; it's a scary thought; especially when I don't know people's true intentions. It's not like I can read minds or some shit."

"Hiring me would be the most expensive assistant in the world," I say with a cocked eyebrow. It's true. I mean, he wants to pay off the rest of my debt to Aro. That's a lot of fucking money. Why would he do that when he can just pay someone a normal amount of money?

He shrugs. "Money means nothing to me and I have plenty of it." He frowns. "I didn't say that to be like…an asshole or something. I'm not shoving it in your face. It's just the truth." He sighs and rubs the back of his neck. "Listen…" he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "I'm not doing this to like…have something to hold over you, okay? I just…I want to help you." He opens his eyes runs his fingers along my jaw. "Let me help you."

His voice is so full of…truth? And his eyes are so full of…some emotion I can't define. My eyes flick down to his lips and I watch in awe as his tongue comes out to flick along the swell of his bottom lip. My face heats when I remember how he tastes…how his lips feel against mine.

And then I'm not remembering…I'm experiencing. My mouth molds against his, the warmth of his lips against mine makes my eyes slide shut in pure relief. I hadn't realized how much I was aching for this…for him. His tongue flicks out against my bottom lip, silently asking for entrance, to which I quickly give.

We both groan when our tongues meet, twirling together in the most erotic way imaginable. Kissing has _never _felt like this before. I feel his cock harden, even through our jeans, and before I consciously know what I'm doing, I'm rocking slowly against him. He growls into my mouth, sending shivers down my spine.

"Bella…" he pants when he pulls his lips from mine. "We gotta…shit…we gotta stop."

"No."

* * *

**A/N: *fans self***


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: Sorry for the delay!**

* * *

**EPOV**

Did she just…did she just say "no"? _What the fuck_? Doesn't she realize that I'm holding on by a thread here? If she keeps saying shit like that I'm just going to throw my "be a gentleman" card right out the fucking window and let it crash to the asphalt of the 101.

I decide to try again, hoping she'll come to her senses before I do some shit that we're both going to regret. _You won't regret shit_, my conscious taunts me. I don't argue 'cause the fucker is right.

"Bella…come on baby, you don't want to do this."

"Yes I do." Anddd, her shirt is gone.

Fuck. Me.

_I'm pretty sure that's what she's trying to do, pussy._

I ignore my inner asshole because...

Oh holy _fuck_. No bra.

Damn, her tits are magnificent. At least a full C. I bet they'd fit perfectly in my hand…

My hand must have its own separate brain, because I _did not_ tell that motherfucker to touch her, but he does anyway. I moan when my fingertips come in contact with her soft flesh. My other hand joins, but this time _I told _that fucker to get all up on that shit. He was getting jealous, ya know. Just trying to be fair and shit.

I run my thumbs along her hardened nipples, smirking slightly when she groans and grinds down onto my cock. _Shit_. Dry humping hasn't felt this good since…well…ever. Not even the first time that shit happened in sixth grade with my first girlfriend Emily. I'm pretty sure I haven't cum in my pants since then either, but Bella and her delicious fucking friction is about to make that statement false.

"Do you want me?" she asks breathlessly, making my cock twitch.

"Of course I fucking want you," I snarl out, trying to hold back the moan that wants to escape when she swivels her hips just right, rubbing against the head of my cock perfectly. "But I refuse to fuck you in the back of a limo…at least for our first time." Because God fucking damn it, once I have her, I'm never going to stop. I'm going to need more, more, more. It'll never be e-fucking-nough.

"Who said anything about fucking, Cullen?" Did she just…she just last named me? That shit was kind of hot. "I'm not going to fuck you. But you're certainly not going to leave me wet and frustrated…and I don't think a shade of blue would suit you very well right now…do you?"

_This woman is going to fucking kill me_.


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N: I meant to post this last night when I finished it, but I fell asleep. :X I'm guessing from now on I'm going to be posting at night, around 9EST. That seems to be the only time I have to myself these days. Hope you enjoy and I promise there won't be any more delays – except that I see these chapters getting longer as the plot thickens…so we may go to every two days as the chapters lean more toward "normal" chapter lengths. Cool?**

* * *

**BPOV**

Edward's face is hilarious.

Seriously, if I wasn't so turned on right now and afraid of ruining the mood, I'd burst into the biggest fit of giggles ever. However…I feel like I'm about to _explode_, so there won't be any funny noises coming out of me any time soon.

Suddenly, Edward's mouth is covering my breasts, peppering kisses all along my flesh before wrapping his lips around one nipple and sucking roughly. Yeah, no funny noises _at all_. Instead, a moan that would rival Jenna Jameson's rips from my throat, startling me almost as much as Edward.

He pulls back and looks up at me through hooded lids. "Fuck that was sexy. You're so fucking sexy Bella. Do you know that?" I nod along, wanting him to stop talking and use his mouth for far better purposes. I grip the back of his head, running my fingers through his hair; gripping it tightly and using their location to bring his mouth back down to my chest.

I can feel him smirk against my skin before his tongue is doing delicious things to me again, licking long languid strokes all along the swells of my breasts. "Don't tease me," I all but beg, causing him to chuckle. "If you tease, I tease." I swivel my hips, making him groan before I begin lifting myself up, resting all of my weight on my knees instead of his crotch.

His hands find my hips, pulling me back down until I'm seated fully on his lap and his cock is rubbing firmly against my clit. I moan out, unable to help myself. "No teasing," he says in a low voice, causing a shiver to run up my spine as I mutely nod in agreement.

With his hand still on my hips, he begins moving my body over his, causing the most delicious friction to occur right where we both need it most. The car fills with moans and grunts and I briefly worry that Felix is hearing all of this…and then I realize I don't give a _fuck_ because _damn_ he feels good.

I'm not going to fuck him, obviously. I'm not that kind of girl – stripper or not. I've only known this man a total of…well shit, not even twenty four hours yet. Which means there won't be any fucking today; or anytime in the near future.

_Keep telling yourself that_.

I ignore the bitch in my head and continue to grind down on Edward's impressive length. I can feel myself getting closer, the coil in my stomach very close to snapping. I gasp and swivel my hips tightly, letting the hard head of his cock perform magic on my clit. "Edward," I breathe out his name.

"Come on baby, cum for me."

I don't know if it was his demanding yet sweet voice or the fact that he called me baby, but the next time he thrusts up while I grind down, I explode. White hot heat shoots through my entire body and my eyes squeeze tightly shut as a million different sensations take over my senses. Holy fucking shit. That was…the best orgasm I've ever had in my entire life, and I'm only half naked.

I _may_ need to readjust the whole "there won't be any fucking" timeline.

* * *

**A/N: LOL. I think Bella is having second thoughts about the no fucking thing, eh? Edward's sitting in the corner, all sad, sexually frustrated, and…unsatisfied. I think we need to fix that, no? Any takers?**


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: I didn't have time to edit this, so any mistakes are mine. Sorry for the delay! My weekend was crazy! And I'm posting this while my Patriots are on…that's serious dedication right there. Lol. The next couple of chapters are going to be a little longer…maybe more around 1,000 words. So I'll probably post every 2 days.**

* * *

I'm not a man whore, but I've had my fair share of women. None of them compare to Bella. And the craziest part of that shit? I didn't even fuck her! All she did was grind down on my denim covered dick. But Goddamn, when she came? That was what fucking sealed the deal for best sexual experience of my life.

I shiver when her stuttered breath covers my neck. "Damn."

I chuckle, running my fingertips up and down her exposed back. "Are you okay?"

"I am _so_ more than okay."

"Good."

"How are _you_?" she asks as she sits up, making me hiss when she comes in contact with my cock. "Ah, I see." She smirks as she runs her hand along my chest.

_Just a little fucking lower baby…_

When her hand plays with the button of my jeans I practically growl. My cock is practically pushing against my denim, begging to be set free. Once the button is popped off, she slowly starts unzipping me, making my heart race like fucking crazy.

When her tiny little hand wraps around my dick, I swear I have to fight back a damn whimper. Holy shit. I don't think a hand has ever felt so fucking good. She strokes me gently a few times, and probably emboldened by my hissing and cursing – she begins pumping me faster while she grips my shaft firmly.

My eyes cross in pleasure as I throw my head back. "Fuck Bella. Your hand feels fantastic. Don't fucking stop." _If you do I'm going to cry_.

She doesn't stop; she quickens her pace further, bringing me to the brink of pleasure when her thumb runs over the head of my cock. "Do you like that?" she asks huskily in my ear. "Are you going to cum for me Edward?" _Shit_. The way she says my name is like a dirty fucking word.

"Yeah," I mutter into her hair. "Just like that. Fuck, you feel so good around me."

She twists her wrist on the upstrokes and my goddamn eyes cross in pleasure as the knot deep within my stomach tightens even further. "I'm gonna cum," I warn her, not wanting to be an asshole and get her all messy.

"Good," is her only reply as she doubles her efforts, pumping me faster as her free hand cups my balls. When she gives them a gentle squeeze, I roar out in pleasure as my orgasm rockets through me.

I worry for a second about the potential mess, but Bella readjusts herself until she's sitting beside me once more. "I wouldn't want something so delicious to go to waste," she says before licking her hand.

Holy fuck. Did she just…did she…she just…

"Mmmm," she hums.

This woman is going to fucking kill me; in the best way imaginable.


	44. Chapter 44

.

.

.

"You ready?" I ask Bella with a smile on my face. I have no idea why I'm so fucking pumped – but I am and it can't be contained.

"Why are you so excited?" she asks me skeptically, making me worry for a moment that she can read my mind. That shit _would not_ be good. I look at her from the corner of my eye. "What?"

_Damn she's good_.

"I just…I want you to have fun with me tonight." There's tightness around her eyes and I hate that fuck Aro for putting it there. I know her thoughts are on that smarmy bastard. She's worried that he's going to start shit because she's missing work. "So, are you ready to pick out your dress?"

"Sure," she says with a sigh. I hate that she doesn't sound excited. I want to expunge every ounce of worry from her tone and infuse it with happiness. _Fuck, Cullen, where are your balls_?

I get out of the car when Felix opens the door for us. I shake my head. "How many times have I told you to not do that?" I mutter before turning to help Bella out. I hear Felix chuckle behind me but I ignore him.

"Where are we?" Bella asks as she looks around. She's probably looking for a store or something, and she's probably wondering why the fuck we're outside of a random ass house.

"This is my brother's house. We're going shopping for your dress."

"How are we-"

"His fiancée, Alice Brandon, is a designer. She's pretty popular." I shrug to kind of downgrade it. Alice hates when she's treated like a celebrity. Hell, the celebrities she makes shit for treat her like she's a celebrity.

Her eyes bug out of her head. "Alice Brandon? That's who your brother is marrying? And…this is her house? And you expect to take one of her dresses?"

I hesitate before nodding. "Yep, why?"

"Are you fucking insane?" Felix chuckles hard and stops abruptly when I give him a death stare.

"Why is that insane Bella?"

"You want me to go into your future sister-in-law's house, take one of her creations, and show up – uninvited to her damn wedding?"

Well…when it's put that way…

"Yeah?" It comes out as more of a question than a statement.

"You're out of your fucking mind, do you know that?"

"Yup."

She takes a deep breath and shakes her head. "Lead the way, crazypants."


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N: As I said before, the chapters are going to get a bit longer, which means the updates will be about every two days. The length of this chapter will probably be the norm for future chapters; about 1,000 words. I didn't have time to pre-read or edit this yet, so sorry for any mistakes. I'll fix it later tonight. Enjoy!**

* * *

**BPOV**

"How about this one?" Edward asks me as he holds out another dress. I shake my head at that one too. I've done it for the past three dresses and Edward is clearly _not _taking the hint, because I _refuse _to wear any of these dresses_. _

They're not even Alice's personal collection – which would be bad enough. No, these are from her new fucking line. Honestly, this boy has lost his goddamn mind. Of course, only a guy could find this whole ridiculous situation okay.

He just doesn't understand – as I'm sure most guys don't – that a woman's closet is sacred. He truly believes that Alice will have no problem with some strange stripper showing up to her wedding as he future brother-in-law's plus one…in her fucking dress. Not to mention that all of these dresses are probably assigned to fucking celebrities for red carpets, or something else that's equally glamorous and far beyond my level of grace and class.

"Edward," I sigh as I sit down on the small ottoman in the middle of the closet. I'm not sure I can even call this damn room a closet, considering it's literally bigger than my entire apartment. "I'm sorry. I know I said I would go with you but…I just can't. I can't do this. I can't wear one of her dresses and show up on your arm."

"Bella-"

"No. Listen, please. I'm a stripper Edward." He opens his mouth to speak but doesn't when I narrow my eyes at him and continue. "I know what you're going to say and it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because no matter my reasons for doing what I do – I still do it. I'm going to be judged for that…you're going to be judged for that too."

"I don't care about that shit Bella."

"You will though. If someone were to find out my name or whatever and did just the tiniest bit of research, they'd know what I do for a living. That could ruin your career before it ever gets started."

"Nobody is going to try and find out your name Bella," he sighs as he runs a hand through his hair. "No one is going to care."

I scoff and roll my eyes at him. Does he seriously believe the shit he spews out? "You're Edward Cullen," I say in a duh tone.

He smirks. "We've been over this. Trust me; I don't need you to keep reminding me of my name. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I can remember that."

"You know what I mean. To believe that no one is going to care who Edward Cullen's date is…that's just plain ridiculous. You're a famous handsome man; you're probably the most eligible bachelor in the damn country right now. Every girl in the world will want to know who you're with. You know there will be paparazzi there, and they're vicious. They won't stop until they have pictures and a disgusting article full of lies to go with it."

I see his shoulders slump and I know I've won him over with my argument. The strange thing? I'm kind of pissed that I did. I mean what the fuck? Why couldn't I just go with him, forget about all of the shit I deal with on a daily basis, and have fun?

_Because I'm an idiot_, that's why.

"So…there's nothing I can do to convince you?"

"No," I say quietly with a shake of my head. "I'm sorry. I really am."

He nods. "So, um, are you going to work tonight?"

"Yes," I answer without looking up from my shoes. "I have to. You know I have to."

"Fuck," he mutters. I look up to see his face covered in anger and…pain? "What about the job offer? You're not going to do that shit either?"

"I…I don't know. I'll think about it, okay?" He nods stiffly. "You need to think about it too. Like I said before, people are going to want to know who I am, even behind the scenes. You have to consider your image. Promise me you'll think about it?"

"I promise," he says as his bright green eyes dart to mine. "I need to get going then," he says as he shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Right," I bite my lip and look around. "I…um…I'll see you around then?"

"Bella," he sighs and steps toward me.

When his arms surround me and he hugs me to him tightly, I have to battle back the emotions that stir in my heart. I felt this same thing in the back of that damn car, when this man gave me the most satisfying orgasm of my life. This shit needs to go away.

"I'm driving you home," he says against my ear before placing his lips to the spot just below it firmly. I shiver from the contact and nod against his neck. "Fucking finally! No smart ass remark or argument. I didn't even know you were capable of holding that shit back."

I narrow my eyes at him while he smirks. "I am capable of a lot of things." He raises his eyebrows and swallows visibly. "And Edward?" I ask over my shoulder as I walk out of the closet.

"Yeah?"

"Technically you're not driving me. Felix is."

"You little…"

I see him start to run out of my peripheral vision, and squealing like a little kid, I run as fast as my clumsy legs will carry me. He catches me outside, at the bottom of the stairs. "Do you think you're funny?" he asks as he wraps his arms around my waist from behind and buries his face into my neck.

"I think I'm hilarious," I say with a small giggle.

"I think you're beautiful," is his only reply before he pulls my chin back slightly and presses his lips firmly to mine.

* * *

**A/N: Aw. These two are too cute. Let me know what you think? Do you think Bella is right for not going? Or do you think she's crazy? What do you think is going through Edward's mind right now? Let me know your thoughts! xo**


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N: Wow! You guys had some harsh words for Bella. Keep in mind – she's only known Edward for ONE day. She doesn't exactly trust him with her life, ya know. She's been pretty much on her own for a while now doing what she needs to do. Let's cut her a little bit of slack, lol. :)**

**P.S. Sorry for the lack of updates. I'm sure you understand with the holidays, yes? I hope so. It's been very hectic preparing four boys for Santa.**

* * *

After making sure that he had my phone number in his phone correctly – _three times_, Edward had finally let me get out of the car. But not before laying one of the slowest, sweetest, kisses that I've ever experienced in my entire life on my lips. He made me promise to call him when I got off work and I tried to ignore the scowl that covered his face when he mentioned work.

I enjoy three seconds of peace after letting myself into my apartment before Rose descends on me.

"Where the fuck have you been? We had an agreement. I come home to check on you – and you're not fucking here! I've been calling you all day. Where were you? Where the fuck is Edward as well? He needs a swift kick in his nuts."

"Rose."

"What?"

"I was in Forks."

Realization dawns in her eyes and she takes three steps toward me before launching herself into my arms. "Are you okay?" she asks quietly against my neck. "I'm sorry," she continues without allowing me to answer. "I didn't mean to…I was just…fuck Bella, I was so worried about you." She steps back and places her hands on my shoulders. I watch as her facial features shift from concerned to curious to suspicious. "Bella…how did you manage to get to Forks? You worked last night and had to cancel…"

Realization yet again dawns in her eyes before they widen. "Did you go with Edward?" I nod because I can't find my voice. "He…took you…to Forks?" Her face is a mixture of shock and hurt.

"What's wrong?" I ask as I see the tightness form around her eyes. She shakes her head. I slide my hands up her arms until they're resting on her hands that are resting on my shoulders. I give them a squeeze and she looks at me. "Why do you look so…sad Rose? Tell me, please."

"You let him go with you?" she asks quietly as her voice cracks.

_Shit_.

Rose has been trying to get me to let her go with me since…well, forever. Hell, if I hadn't refused so many times before, she probably would've tried her best to drive me down her damn self and solve Thursday night's dilemma instantly.

"Yeah. He…I told him about Jake, and my dad, and well…everything that's happened over the last couple of years."

"Wow," Rose says with a nod. "That's…wow."

"I'm sorry," I reply with a sigh. "I really am. I know I hurt your feelings. I'm a bitch. I don't know why it was so easy to tell him everything. I don't know why it was so easy to let go and let him bring me there. I don't know why it seemed so right to let him…comfort me and take care of me. I have no fucking idea why it felt so good when he touched me and kissed me. And I have no fucking idea why it was so hard to tell him that I couldn't go with him and that had to come home and go to work. Watching him drive away was…fuck it hurts Rose. It physically hurts me. Why? Why does it hurt like this?"

I rub my chest to try and ease the discomfort that the lack of Edward's presence brought with it. My lungs feel too small and the room looks very similar to how it always did after my dad spun me around when I was little.

"Bella? Bella, honey, relax. Breathe. I think you're having a panic attack."

"Wha-what? A panic attack?"

"Sit," Rose says firmly as she points to the couch. When I don't move, she drags me carefully until I'm seated beside her.

"First of all, let's start with something easy – where is Edward?"

"He's at his brother's wedding."

"Oh." She says with a frown, like she had prepared herself for a terrible answer. "That's…uh…okay. So, you're going to work tonight then? No more Edward? Everything is back to normal?"

"Define normal," I answer vaguely as I avoid her eyes.

"What aren't you telling me?"

I sigh and run my hand through my hair. "This is going to be a long ass story."

She narrows her eyes at me and crosses her arms. "I have time."

_Shit_.

* * *

**A/N: As I mentioned above – I'm going crazy with Christmas prep. So I'm expecting a new chapter by hopefully Wednesday. See you then! It'd be a great Christmas present if you left a review…just sayin'. I might return the present favor and have the chapter be super long. ;)**


	47. Chapter 47

**A/N: I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday. I've just now freed myself from a mountain of wrapping paper, lol. Updates will be back to daily or every other day, depending on length. This chapter is just a little short "Hi, I survived the holidays" chapter. Tomorrow's chapter will be longer. :)**

* * *

**EPOV**

Walking into my brother's wedding, my stomach is in fucking knots. Once I'm in the church, the monsters descend, aka my parents.

"Honey! You're late. Alice has been going absolutely crazy, worrying that you wouldn't show."

I simply roll my eyes. "She knows I'd never ditch her or Jasper. Especially on their wedding day, Ma, give me a little credit. I just had to help a friend out today, she'll understand."

"A friend?" my mother asks with a raised eyebrow. "What kind of friend?"

"What do you mean, 'what kind'?"

"I believe she means to ask you if she's of the female persuasion, Son." My dad smirks at my mother who narrows her eyes back at him. "What honey?" he asks her as his smirk grows. "Is that not what you meant?"

"Go away Carlisle," she teases. "Go and find our other son. I have this one handled. I'm sure Jasper needs you to speak with him."

My father mouths "sorry" to me behind my mother's back before disappearing quickly. Lucky bastard.

"So, this friend…" she continues with a smile. "Is _she_ here?"

"She?" I ask, playing stupid.

"Don't play stupid honey." Damn this woman knows me too well.

"No, she's not."

"Good. I'm sure Alice wouldn't appreciate one of your floozies being at her wedding."

"Bella is _not _a floozie!" I yell out of nowhere. _Shit_.

My mother's eyes widen and her mouth opens and closes at least three times with no sound coming out at all.

"Who is Bella?"

I cringe, because that wasn't my mother who asked that question.

I turn around and see my worst nightmare: Alice with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed, looking fully prepared to rip my balls from my body.

_Shit_.

* * *

**A/N: Looks like our kids have some serious splainin' to do, eh?**


	48. Chapter 48

.

.

.

"Well?" Alice asks as she taps her foot.

_Damn_.

Alice is a very tiny woman. I'm not even sure she clears the five foot mark. Regardless of her size, when Alice is pissed, she looks fucking _scary_.

When she arches a perfectly waxed eyebrow at me, I know my time is up and I need to spill, pronto.

"Um…" I run my hand through my hair, trying to buy myself a few more seconds, cause honestly, what the fuck? How am I supposed to explain all of this to Alice? What am I supposed to say? 'Hey Alice, I met this stripper last night at Jasper's bachelor party and I think I might love her after only knowing her for less than twenty four hours'? Yeah, I don't think so. "Bella is a girl that I met."

The look she gives me tells me that she's not satisfied with my answer. The look I give her tells her not to interrogate me in front of the curious ears of my mother. She looks at me closely, making me feel as if she's seeing right through me, for what feels like hours before her lip twitches and she nods at me once. "Later," she mouths before walking away and thankfully taking my mother with her.

I decide to find my father and brother, hoping to have some time to think while in their presence. My father has always been a quiet and understanding man and my brother shares a lot of his traits. That's a good thing, because my mother and soon to be sister-in-law speak and pester enough for all of us combined.

"Hey bro," Jasper greets me with a smile as soon as I open the door. "What's up?" He's smirking at me; that same smirk that my father and I have as well. It's the smirk we do when we're being smartasses. That right there tips me off. My dad came in here gossiping like an old woman.

I glare at him while I answer Jasper. "Nothing. Sorry I'm late. How are you feeling?" Deflection, it's great, let me tell ya.

"Um…" he shakes his head. "I'm good…I think." His brow creases and he frowns at me. "Am I supposed to be this nervous?"

I chuckle and shrug. "Fuck if I know. Ask him." I nod toward my father who grins at the two of us as he sips his scotch.

"Yup. It's not the first time you'll be nervous either, Son." He downs the rest of his drink and sits on the small white couch in the middle of the room. "You'll be nervous tonight, on your wedding night. You'll be nervous when Alice goes into labor. You'll be nervous when you're son goes for his driving test. You'll be nervous when your daughter goes on her first date. Half of being a husband is worrying about being a father. Being a father is all about worrying yourself to death about your children. Marital bliss is just worry."

"Thanks Dad. That helps a lot," Jasper says sarcastically with an eye roll.

"Remind me never to get married," I chime in.

Jasper snorts. "Like that would happen."

"I wouldn't be so skeptical Jasper," my father says with his own smirk. Aw, shit, here we go. "Ask your brother where he's been all day…and last night."

Jasper's eyes widen. "That stripper chick?"

"Stripper?" My father asks with wide eyes.

_Jesus fucking Christ_.

* * *

**A/N: Lol. They're not gonna catch a break eh? Sorry for yet another delay. Between the holidays and the flu, I haven't been able to touch my computer. Forgive me? :) I promise that I won't be late again! **


	49. Chapter 49

.

.

.

**BPOV**

Some girls strip because they love it. I know girls who figure – "Hey, I have the goods, why not make some serious cash and show them off?" and that's great for them. They know they're hot and everyone else does so they flaunt it. They get tons of attention and tons of compliments and they enjoy it. Getting paid huge mounds of cash a night are just a bonus.

Then there are the girls like me. We're the girls who do it because we don't have any other options; at least not any that would equal enough cash for whatever it is that's needed. Some girls are putting themselves through school – as cliché as it may sound. Some girls are taking care of their kids all by themselves. And then there's some of us – like me – who do it for someone they love.

I've never felt bad about stripping. I've always looked at it as a necessary evil. I've never felt dirty or degraded while on stage. The only bad emotion I've ever really felt was nerves – like I wasn't good enough to be on that stage; that maybe everyone in the crowd was thinking "what the fuck is she doing up there?"

But right now, as I walk into the dressing room that I've walked into countless times before – I feel bad. I feel like I'm doing something_ wrong_. My stomach feels like its twisting in on itself and my heart feels like it's going to beat right out of my chest. I'm not going to play stupid and pretend that I don't know why I'm feeling this way all of a sudden.

I'm feeling this way because of _him_. He's making me feel like this is wrong, like I'm doing something bad, like I'm betraying him. I don't owe him anything. Hell, I haven't even known the damn guy for more than twenty four hours.

He walks into my life, all good looks and charm and money, and thinks what? That the second he offers me some Prince Charming routine I'll just jump into his money bags and ride off into the sunset? Fuck that.

I don't owe Edward Cullen _anything_.

The only person I owe anything to is sitting in a hospital room while bills stack up. That's why I'm here. That's why I do this. And I'm not fucking ashamed of it.

I square my shoulders and face myself in the mirror. "You're a good person. Your job is not wrong. You are doing this for the right reasons. Fuck him."

"Who are you talking to?"

The sound of Rose's voice makes me yelp and jump back from the mirror like an idiot. "Jesus Christ, Rose," I scowl at her as she begins giggling. "You scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry," she says in a tone that means she clearly_ isn't_ sorry at all. "What was the pep talk for?"

"Nothing," I mutter and turn around, trying to avoid eye contact.

"It's about Edward, isn't it?"

I huff and roll my eyes. "I do not want to talk about Edward right now." We just spent the last two hours talking about him. Isn't that enough? I mean really, there isn't anything else to say.

I'm not going to accept an offer from some guy I barely know – especially an offer that sounds too good to be true. He wants to pay off my debt to Aro, why? Just so I can "work" for him as his "assistant"? Yeah fucking right. I don't care who you are – if you're a guy, you have an agenda. And that agenda is usually planned by your cock.

_Now you all of a sudden have an issue with his cock? Didn't seem like that in the limo…_

I ignore my inner bitch, even though she's right. I do like his cock and I really like him if I'm being honest. But I won't trade in being a stripper to be some guy's personal whore.

_Do you really think Edward would do that to you?_

No, but…

Rosalie seems to agree with my inner bitch. She thinks Edward is a really great guy all of a sudden. I think she's just telling me anything she thinks I want to hear, because she knows I don't want to work here any longer than I need to and she knows I definitely do not want to be under Aro's thumb. But I know the biggest reason – Rose has almost saved up enough money to open up her garage and she doesn't want to leave me here alone when she quits.

I don't want to work here or be under Aro's thumb either, but I can't just blindly accept a too-good-to-be-true offer from someone I barely know and run with it. Plus, even if he did pay off my debt to Aro, Jake's hospital bills would pile up all over again and I'd have no way to make the payments.

I don't know how much an assistant makes, but I'm pretty sure they don't make five hundred bucks a day.

"You're thinking about it again," Rose sings out annoyingly as she steps up beside me. I watch as she applies her makeup and try to picture being here without her. I mean, yeah, we don't work the same shifts every week. Sometimes we'll work different days all week long; but just knowing she works here is enough to keep me calm and keep other bitches off my back. Even Aro leaves me alone most of the time as long as he has his cash cow – Rosalie. With her gone…I don't even want to think about what Aro will be like.

"Still thinking," she sings once again.

"Shut the fuck up, Rose!" I yell and immediately regret it when I see pain quickly flash across her eyes.

It's gone as quickly as it came – replaced right away by the anger I'm more used to see on her features.

"You listen to me, Isabella," oh shit, _full name_. "I got you this job because I found you crying on the street. I took you in and gave you a place to stay. You're not some fucking pet that I took in off the street and feed once in a while. You're my best fucking friend. I love you so much, more than words can express, and it fucking kills me to see you beating yourself up every single day. You walk through life miserable – doing this to pay Jake's bills and not living your life at all. You know what I saw when you were with Edward yesterday?" I shake my head. "I saw you smile. I saw you _alive_ Bella. I know you don't trust him and that's smart – but he's not a _bad _guy. Not every guy is an asshole. Just let him help you Bella. That's all. I know you like him and I know he likes you. Give it a chance."

I sit quietly and watch as she finishes getting ready. She's right. I'm putting all of this bad shit onto Edward when all he's done so far has helped me. He's been great to me. He paid Aro a huge chunk of cash for a "dance" that turned out to be a therapy session and a road trip to see Jake. Then he wanted to bring me to his brother's wedding where I would have met his family. And what's so wrong with him wanting me to quit a job that I'd rather not have? What's so wrong with letting him help me get away from Aro? Rose is right – Edward likes me. I'm sure it's not as much as I like him, because when I really think about Edward – even only know him for a day…I know that I could…

No. Don't think of that kind of stuff. That's not going to happen.

He's a friend.

_A friend that you hump?_

He's a friend, I repeat to my inner bitch.

You want more than that and you know it.

I ignore her again. It's becoming fairly easy.

"Rose…"

"Go," she says immediately. "I'll cover for you with Aro. I'll tell him you threw up all over the dressing room and I had to clean it up and send you home. I'll give him full bitch mode. He won't question it."

I give her a grateful smile. "Thanks Rose, I love you." I hug her tightly and she kisses my hair.

"Love you too Bells," she squeezes me to her more tightly. "Go and have fun. Don't let anyone look down on you. Remember, you're a great girl and Edward is a lucky guy."

"We're just friends, Rose. He's just a friend helping me out."

"Whatever you say honey," she says with a smile. "Go. Make sure you call me this time or I will hunt your ass down."

I laugh and nod. "I will."

And then I'm off, racing home to change into something classy enough for a wedding, and before I can convince myself otherwise, I'm in a cab heading for the church that Edward told Felix to go to before I got out.

I hope this is the right thing to do…

* * *

**A/N: GO BELLA! What do you guys think? Bella's head is kinda everywhere right now, huh? I hope you guys who were pissed at her got a little bit more info into her thoughts. She's comin' around right? Off to Prince Edward…lol..**


	50. Chapter 50

.

.

.

My dad turns toward my brother, as if facing him will make what he said untrue. "Did you say stripper, Son?"

Jasper nods, his face half-mortified half-pleased with himself. "Yup. Edward threw my bachelor party at Twilight. He was obsessed with some chick last night that works there. Dad she was…" he stops himself, thank fucking God. He coughs and runs his hand through his hair. "I dunno, ask him." He nods toward me and leaves the room.

Pussy.

"Edward?" my dad asks.

"Yeah?" Play it stupid. Good plan.

"What was all that about?" My dad's face is turning an alarming shade of purple, so I decide to man up and actually act like a guy who is in his 20s instead of a toddler.

"I'm sorry Dad. Jasper is a dick. But what he said was true. I met someone."

"And she's a stripper?"

Rage rips through me and before I can stop myself, I lash out. "Yes, she's a fucking stripper Dad! Who cares? She's amazing! Kate was a college student who turned out to be nothing but a money hungry fame whore!"

My chest is heaving as I struggle to catch my breath along with any morsel of self-control I can muster.

"What's going on in here?" Fuck me. "Well?" My mother has the ability to make one word scare the shit out of you. My father, even though he's had decades of practice against her tone, is the first one to cave.

"Edward fell in love with a stripper!" he suddenly blurts out.

"What?" my mother asks, her eyes wide. "What is he talking about?"

"I met someone."

"She's a stripper?"

I barely resist rolling my eyes at my mother. "Yes. She works at the club where I threw Jasper's bachelor party last night. Please," I all but whine, "don't judge her on her profession before you've met her."

Her eyes widen more. "Is she here?" There's a hopeful tone to her voice. I'm not sure that I like it. It kind of scares me instead of reassuring me.

"No."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Why didn't she come?"

"I…I invited her. But she thought it would be better if she didn't come."

My shoulders slump and my mother rushes over toward me. "Oh honey, I'm sorry. Are you really in love with her?" she whispers. "You've only just met her last night…maybe it's just overwhelming feelings, you know? Maybe the rush of what she does for a living, or…" she pauses. "I've read somewhere that sex can cloud your judgement and make your feelings go all wonky and-"

"Ma!" I cut her off. "I didn't have sex with her!"

"Oh." Her surprised tone pisses me off.

"She's not a_ hooker_, Ma. She's a _dancer_. That's all." Her face is still pale and it just fuels my anger. "Fuck this."

I storm out of the room, and down a side hallway. When Jasper sees me he grins and starts singing as I storm away from him. "I'm in loooove with a strippaaa! She poppin'! She rollin'! She rollin!"

"Fuck you Jasper!" I shout before storming out of the church and plopping down on the front steps. I bury my face in my hands and groan.

"Edward? You okay?"


	51. Chapter 51

.

.

.

"Bella! Where are you heading?"

I turn to face Garrett, ready to tell him to shut up and mind his business, when I see the look on his face. He looks really worried. I sigh and swallow down my bitchy retort. "I'm leaving. I don't feel well. Rose is covering for me."

"Oh." He sounds really disappointed.

"Yeah…" I trail off, not sure what else to say.

"Do you need a ride?"

"No, I'm okay."

"How about I bring you by some soup after I get off?" he asks nervously.

"Um…that'd be at like, three in the morning. I'll hopefully be sleeping by then."

"Oh," he lets out a nervous laugh. "Right. Of course. Sorry. I'm a fucking moron."

What do I say to that? "It's okay." It's a lame and somewhat rude response, _I know_, but I'm having my own inner crisis here. I'm trying to keep my nerve up so I can get to Edward and here I am, having really awkward small talk with some guy who may or may not secretly be in love with me. When a full minute passes and he hasn't said anything else, I wave and hastily make my way to my truck.

And then remember that I didn't drive my piece of shit truck. "Damn it! Hey Garrett?"

"Yeah?" he turns around, his face full of hope and…something else I can't identify.

You're going to hell for this. "Can I borrow your car?"

"Uh…yeah, sure." He fishes into his pocket for his keys before handing them to me, lingering his fingers on mine far longer than necessary. "I'll come by and pick it up tomorrow morning."

"Thanks Garrett, you're a lifesaver."

"No problem, Bella. Anytime." I'm about to leave, but he grabs my shoulder. "I mean it. Any time you need me, I'll be there. Okay?"

"Um…o-okay." I dash for his car, trying to shake the weird feeling away.

My stomach is in knots the whole way to my house. I throw up in my bathroom, thankfully avoiding the pretty purple dress I borrowed from Rose. She was a bridesmaid for one of the girls who used to work at Twilight. The drive to the church doesn't help my anxiety and I almost turn around at least five times.

When I'm finally parked in front of it, I stare at it instead of getting out and going in. It's a really pretty church, but I guess all churches are beautiful in their own ways. I have to say, having a ceremony on a Saturday night is unique; but I guess it's perfect for someone like Alice Brandon, who has been called the fashion visionary of the future.

A commotion at the door brings me out of my trance.

"Fuck you Jasper!"

I see Edward stumble out of the church, clearly pissed off. He walks toward the stairs and plops down, hiding his face in his hands. Before I even know that I'm doing it, I'm running up the steps in heels; thankfully without falling on my face.

"Edward? You okay?"

He looks up at me, his face a picture of shock and relief at the same time. He takes a deep breath before launching his body up off of the steps and wrapping his arms around me. He quickly pulls me against him, hugging me almost desperately before burying his face in my hair. "You're here. Fuck. Bella…"

He presses his lips against mine. It's tender and gentle before it turns desperate and messy.

"Ahem."

We break apart quickly and when I see who interrupted us, I'm pretty sure vomit #2 is on its way.


	52. Chapter 52

.

.

.

I push myself away from Edward as if he somehow burned me. He looks somewhat hurt by my actions, but I don't have the mental capacity to handle that right this second.

Looking into the smirking face of Alice Brandon has me reeling. This chick is famous, like _really _famous. _Edward is famous too_, my inner bitch chides me. As if I could have forgotten that tidbit…but thanks for the reminder, it's really helping my anxiety right now. Not.

"Um, hi," I mumble uncertainly as she continues to stare at me. Honestly, it's kind of creeping me out. I mean, why is she just standing there staring at me? I fidget under her intense stare, while silently berating myself for being such a pussy.

"You must be Bella," she says as she places her hands on her hips and juts out her chin. My mouth pops open in shock. How does she know who I am? Has Edward…has he told his family about me? My mind churns rapidly, quickly going through every scenario that could have possibly happened for _that _information to have come out. I flinch, realizing the reason for Edward's state of distress that I interrupted. It couldn't have been a good conversation.

Why would it be? On the same day that his family is celebrating their son's wedding – to a freaking famous fashion guru no less – they find out that their other son has been hanging out with a stripper.

I swallow and nod. Her smirk turns into an all-out grin. "Well fuck me." My mouth hits the concrete. Did she just…? "You look beautiful Bella. I'll see you inside okay?"

"O-okay." As she's entering the church again I call after her. "Hey!" She turns around, her smile still in place. "Congratulations."

"Congratulations to you too."

"For what?" I ask, confused beyond belief.

"You'll know soon enough."

And then she's gone.


	53. Chapter 53

.

.

.

**BPOV**

"Bella?" I turn toward the sound of Edward's voice. "Are you okay?"

I stare at him; slack jawed, trying to form a coherent sentence. "I…I need to sit down."

He gives me a small understanding smile and pats the concrete on the step beside him. "Why are you here?" His gaze is hopeful and nervous, his expression exactly matching my inner emotions.

"I want to be here," I answer simply…vaguely.

"Why?"

I shrug and look away, resting my elbows on my knees and my chin in my hands. He sighs and out of my peripheral vision I can see him tug on his hair in frustration. "Bella…" his voice is quiet and tense. "You know that by being here and not at work…Aro is going to-"

I interrupt him. "I know what Aro is capable of," I snap at him. "I'm much more aware than you are." I wince, regretting the words as soon as they're out of my mouth. "Edward, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm just a little…I don't know."

"Yeah," he nods. "I know what you mean." He checks his watch. "So…are you coming in with me?"

Am I? Alice seemed to like me, and if she likes me, I don't see any reason why I wouldn't be able to go to her wedding, right? After weighing the pros and cons quickly, I silently nod my head. His smile is almost blinding. "Really?" he asks.

"Yeah," I answer with a small giggle. "I'd love to spend the night with you and your family."

His eyes widen slightly. I'm sure he didn't think this through. He's probably thinking about how the rest of his family will perceive me. I'm right there with him. My stomach clenches in nervous anticipation of the night's events. "If you want me to, that is." Might as well give him an exit, right?

He rapidly shakes his head as he stands. "No, no. I mean, yes. I want you to."

I smile at his rambling and hold out my hand. He helps me up and pulls me against his body. My breath catches in my throat as I look into his fiery green eyes. He presses his lips to mine slowly, gently, moaning as they connect. He groans and pulls away, resting his forehead against mine. "Fuck Bella. What you do to me. You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."


	54. Chapter 54

.

.

.

**BPOV**

Sitting in the family row makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. Not because I haven't met his parents or Alice's. Not even because I don't know a single person in this entire church. I feel uncomfortable because Edward's dad is eyeing me_ hardcore_. Every few seconds he furrows his brow and tries to look at me nonchalantly. There isn't anything nonchalant about the way he's looking at me. He's looking at me like he's trying to place me.

I'm a stripper. Do you see why I'm concerned? Then a thought hits me, and I'm like, _fucking duh_. "Edward," I whisper his name and lean in as close as I can. He arches an eyebrow at me, silently asking me what's up. I shouldn't really be talking right now, considering that Alice is about to walk down the aisle, but I gotta calm down, and in order to do that, I gotta ask him something important. "Was your dad at Jasper's bachelor party?"

It's not entirely unheard of, especially when it's the groom's father; hell sometimes the bride's father attends as well. I'm hoping he was, and that's why he's looking at me like he knows me. It'd be somewhat okay if Edward's dad was there when Edward was because then it's not completely awkward. My logic might not make sense to you, but it does to me, okay? If his father tagged along with his sons for some fatherly-son bonding at a bachelor party, it's kinda cute – in a weird way. And if he saw me – totally fine, it's whatever. If his father hit up Twilight with a bunch of friends and saw me naked, kinda weird – in a big way.

"No," his answer makes my heart sink. "Why?"

I shrug. "No reason."

Thankfully, the bridal march fills our ears and I avoid Edward's questioning gaze. How long does the ceremony last at a wedding? When I catch Edward's eye again and I see him looking from me to his father; his face darkening as each second passes, I'm hoping it lasts forfuckingever.

* * *

**A/N: Ohp, lol. Sorry for the delay, had some RL stuff going on. I have a couple more chapters written, so there won't be anymore delays any time soon. Thoughts?  
**


	55. Chapter 55

.

.

.

**EPOV**

What the fuck is going on?

I'm trying to be a good brother and pay attention to the ceremony, truly I am. But I keep seeing my dad looking at _Bella_ every time he thinks I'm not looking at _him_. Old man is not slick. My blood boils every time he glances in her direction, and even though I'm trying to contain my irrational jealousy, it ain't working out.

I know I don't have any reason to be jealous – first of all, Bella isn't my girlfriend. Second of all – my father is ancient and deeply in love with my mother. But for some reason, it's bugging me. Maybe because I know that Bella notices him looking and seems to be upset by it.

"What the fuck?" I mouth at my father when I catch his eye. His eyes widen and he shakes his head. "Later," he mouths back. He averts his eyes toward the alter and I follow his gaze. The priest is eying me like he knows I just swore in church. _The fuck_? How do they do that shit? His attention is back on my brother and Alice and I try to focus on them as well.

I get a little choked up when the priest announces for my brother to kiss his bride. I mean, he's my brother and I'm proud of him. He's come along way from the little stoner who pissed me off daily. Now he's a big time motherfucker in the local music scene. He writes for a well-known blog that writes about local bands. Anyone who's anyone in the music scene wants Jasper to come and see their show and then write up a review about it. Everyone Jasper's written and recommended has had awesome success.

My brother is all smiles as Alice laces her hand through his arm. When he walks by, he nods at me and smirks before glancing at Bella. "You're next," he says quietly, low enough so only I can hear.

_The fuck_?


	56. Chapter 56

.

.

.

**BPOV**

The ceremony was so beautiful and sweet. I don't even know Jasper or Alice and it made me tear up. I guess seeing something like that – _true love_ – in person can have an effect on you. I've seen people in love, of course, but not like this. Well, maybe Rose and Emmett. They're so sweet I need to carry a toothbrush around with me. But there's something about seeing true love being celebrated that really gets to me.

I never saw love like that at home. My mother left my father when I was very young and he never found someone after she left. He was heartbroken, and every day I watched him suffer through his heartache. It's probably why I'm completely terrified of falling in love. Every girl wishes for a Prince Charming. I always wished he'd get lost and never find me.

As I sit here and watch Alice and Jasper feed each other their cake, I feel a longing deep within me. I want _that_ or something close to it at least. I want someone to look at me that way - like I'm the center of their world. I feel the heat of a stare on my face and when I turn toward Edward and see him looking at me, I wonder if…no. _Stop that shit right there Bella_.

"I'll be right back," I say quickly and dart for the bathroom in record time. After dawdling in there for as long as I politely could, I exit and glance around. The coast is clear. I make my way toward the open bar, knowing I'm going to need a little liquid courage to get through the rest of this night.

"What are ya having beautiful?" The bar tender asks me.

"Anything strong," I reply with a wave of my hand. "Doesn't matter."

He smirks and hands me something with an umbrella. I take a big gulp, welcoming the slight burn of the alcohol as it slides down my throat.

"Hello."

I almost drop my fucking drink. I quickly catch it, only spilling a little on the top of my hand. When I lift my hand to my mouth to suck it off, I see Edward's father smirking at me. "How are you?"

"Great," I answer before taking another gulp of my drink. He lets out a small laugh and shakes his head. I look at him, really look at him, and he looks so familiar. I guess it could be because he looks a lot like Edward. They have the same jaw line and the same exact smirk. He's almost as tall as his son, too, only standing about an inch or so shorter if I had to guess. I suppose he's handsome, too – in an older man kind of way.

"Are you Bella Swan?"

What the hell?

"Yes…"

"I thought so."

I nod. What am I supposed to say to that? Did Edward tell him my last name? Wait, does Edward know my last name. I think back throughout the last twenty-four hours and for the life of me, can't remember telling him my last name.

"How do you know who I am?"

Please say Edward. _Please say Edward_.

"I met you briefly last year."

And I'm like, _what the fuck_?

* * *

**A/N: The plot thickens! Sorry for the delay in posting, had some RL shit going on. So! What's up with that shit? When did Bella and Carlisle meet? And why doesn't she remember? Spill your guts!  
**


	57. Chapter 57

.

.

.

**BPOV**

"I'm sorry, what?"

He smiles at me gently. "It's fine. I didn't expect you to recognize me, or even remember me. We only met in passing and I'm sure it's not an experience you like remembering." He frowns and my heart rate spikes. What is he talking about? "I was a consultant on your friend's case. Jacob?"

_Oh thank fucking God_.

"Oh…um…yeah…"

He laughs a little. "Really, it's okay Bella. I don't expect you to remember me. I know it was a stressful time for you." He folds his hands over his chest and waits for me to reply…but I have no fucking clue what to say.

"Thank you, for…um, helping Jacob. It means a lot to me."

He waves off my gratitude. "It is all in a day's work." He smiles at me once more. "What a small world, huh? The woman that my son falls for is the same woman whose friend I helped."

_Falls for_? What?

I try to smile at him but I'm pretty sure it comes out as a grimace.

"Dad." We both turn to see Edward fuming. "What the fuck?"

My mouth drops open. "Edward!" His eyes snap to mine. "Don't talk to your dad like that." He has the decency to look sheepish and he quickly mumbles an apology to his dad. "That was so rude," I say as I slap his arm.

Edward's dad lets out a booming laugh as he shakes his head. "Jesus it's already starting."

And then he walks away.

And I'm so confused.

* * *

**A/N: Some of you knew where she knew Carlisle from. Good job! :) Another update tonight. See ya then.**


	58. Chapter 58

.

.

.

**EPOV**

"Are you okay?"

She's been quiet ever since we left the reception and its really starting to freak me the fuck out. I mean, I have no idea what the hell this is – _this - _ being our…"relationship." I have no clue what the fuck is going on – at all.

If you asked me a few hours ago, I would've said that Bella and I are…friends? I don't fucking know. But now…I'm even more confused. Why did she show up at my brother's wedding? Why did she leave work to come and see me and…_be_ with me, when before she didn't want to at all? Does she want something more with me? Does she want to leave Twilight and work for me? Does she want both? Can we do that?

These are the questions that I need fucking answers to. But I'm too afraid to fucking ask. So instead, I ask a lame question. "Did you have fun tonight?"

"Mhmm," she replies while looking out the window. Apparently the passing trees are more interesting. I sigh but say nothing more, letting the silence fill the car as we make our way to her apartment.

"We're here," I say quietly a few minutes later. She doesn't budge, seemingly in a trance or some shit. "Bella?" I ask with a little shake of her shoulder.

She tenses before relaxing at my touch. She looks at me with a small smile and blush on her face. "Sorry, I was day dreaming."

"You're home."

She nods. "Um…thanks for tonight. It was a lot of fun."

"No problem."

She places her hand on the door and I want to scream or grab her or something - anything that will make her just..._stay_ with me. But I don't. "Bella?" She turns back toward me and arches a questioning brow. "Why did you come?"

"I missed you."

I blink. I wasn't expecting such a blunt answer, and I definitely wasn't expecting _that_ as an answer at all. "You missed me?" I can't help the smile on my face. "I missed you too. When will I see you again?" I trace small patterns on her wrist with the tip of my pinky finger as I wait for her to answer.

"Tomorrow morning," she says a little breathlessly before launching at me. She straddles my lap and kisses me roughly, plunging her tongue into my waiting mouth immediately. Our tongues swirl together and _god fucking damn_, her taste is unbelievable. She pulls back and looks into my eyes. "When you wake up next to me."

Fuck. Me.

* * *

**A/N: Ohp! We're getting someone girls! Sup with Bella?**


	59. Chapter 59

.

.

.

**BPOV**

My nerves are in serious overdrive as Edward fumbles with the key to his front door. He lives in a small townhouse – something I didn't expect at all from someone who just won a ton of money. The house is open, with no fences around it, and when he finally gets the one key in, that's all the security there is; also something I wouldn't expect from someone newly famous.

"Your house is nice." My voice doesn't sound like me, it sounds like a virgin on Prom Night. My tone is a mixture of horny and scared.

"Thanks," Edward answers with a smile before taking my hand and leading me into a small living room. It's very single man in here. A huge flat screen tv adorns one wall, with the signature black leather couch along the opposite wall. There's a huge bookcase on the third wall in the room; the wooden shelves housing easily five hundred books. The man likes to read. This only turns me on more.

Edward plops down onto the couch, pulling me down next to him. I lean against his side, resting my head on his shoulder as his fingers run up and down my left arm. His touch makes me shiver. "Are you cold?" he asks me sweetly. I shake my head and stare up at him. I have to bite back the moan that wants to escape my lips. His words were sweet, but his eyes – they're dark and predatory. I'm pretty sure he's holding onto the very last of his self-control.

I'm right there with ya, buddy.

My body is screaming for me to launch myself at him; to straddle his waist and ride his cock like there's no tomorrow. But my brain, well, my brain is a bitch. I just keep thinking – what will happen if I let this happen? I know if I have sex with him I can't take the job. That just wouldn't be right. It would essentially be fucking for money and in my own head – I'd be a prostitute.

I really want to work for Edward. It'd be nice to get out from underneath Aro's thumb. It goes against my pride to accept help, but I want Edward's help because he seems to genuinely want to give it. I wouldn't mind having him pay off Aro as long as we do it under a contract, something that's legally binding.

The only issue I have with it is how much I'll make with Edward. Will it be enough for Jake?

"Bella."

Edward's velvety voice brings me out of my thoughts.

"Hm?" I look back up at him and watch as his lips descend toward mine, almost in slow motion.

This is it. If I let him kiss me, neither of us will be able to stop.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. What's gonna happen? Who votes for lemon? LOL**


	60. Chapter 60

.

.

.

**EPOV**

Fuck. I need to kiss her. I need to feel her warm lips against mine.

I lean down slowly, giving her plenty of time to stop me if she wants to. When she doesn't stop me, and I feel her warm breath wash over me, my heart goes into fucking overdrive. I swear to Christ it nearly beats right out of my chest.

And when the warmth of her flesh hits me? Fucking perfection. I let the peacefulness that only her touch can bring wash over me as I mold my lips to hers. She lets out a tiny moan that heads straight to my cock – making me instantly hard. What this woman does to me…

"Bella," I groan her name, grabbing her hips and yanking her on top of me roughly. "I need you. I need you so fucking much." I wish I could tell her how true my words really are. I've wanted her for what seems like forever. As corny as it sounds – even in my own head – I'd wait for her for fucking ever if that's what it took. This tiny woman on my lap has quickly become the center of my attention and I don't want that to change any time soon. I don't care that it's only been days that I've known her. It doesn't fucking matter to me.

"I need you more." Her words make me smile against her lips. She starts unbuttoning my dress shirt slowly and I'm suddenly really pissed that we're both dressed in such formal clothing. "Stupid buttons," she mutters as she tries to undo the last three. Growing more impatient, I grab the sides of my shirt and rip it open, popping the tiny buttons off easily. "Holy shit, that was hot."

I chuckle and arch an eyebrow as I finger the bottom of her dress. "Don't even think about it," she warns me with an arched brow of her own.

"Or what?" I challenge.

"Feel the wrath of Rosalie."

"Shit. Fine. I won't." That chick is scary.

This makes her laugh. I fucking love her laugh. I love making her laugh.

I gently unzip the back of her dress and watch in sexually frustrated anticipation as she lets it fall slowly down her shoulders. When I realize she's not wearing a bra, I groan. When I see her small pink nipples, I grip her hips to hold her in place and lick around them slowly; teasingly.

"Edward," she whines out my name. "More. Please. More." I'm all too willing to fucking oblige. I'd give this girl anything if she'd just let me. I wrap my lips around one nipple, sucking hungrily and nipping lightly while I use a free hand to run my thumb over the other nipple; pinching when I nip the other. "God," she moans. "So fucking good."

I whisper against her flesh. "I can be so good for you Bella. Just let me."

She lets out a whimper, and before I can question whether or not it was a good one, her lips are on mine. She kisses me fiercely, practically shoving her tongue down my throat. She pulls my shirt down off of my shoulders and when she presses her perfect tits against my chest, I feel her hard nipples against my skin; I let out a loud groan.

"Off," I mutter against her lips as I tug on her dress. "Get this shit off."

She giggles as she stands. She bites her lip as she gently tugs on her bunched up dress. I'm torn between enjoying her innocent act and wanting to rip the fucking dress off her body. I decide to watch as I unbutton my pants. Her eyes zero in on my hands and I smirk when she licks her lips. I love that she wants this – _wants me_ – as much as I want her.

When she pulls her dress down over her hips and I see that she also has no fucking panties on, the caveman within me takes over. I stand up, shedding my pants in record time before grabbing her and slinging her over my shoulder. She lets out an adorable squeal as I run through the living room and take the stairs two at a time. I knew I should've just bought that one floor apartment. I'd already have her naked underneath me.

I plop her down unceremoniously on my bed and smile when her tits jiggle. She glares at me, but can't keep the smile off of her own face. "You're a little overdressed."

"Am I?" I ask with a smirk.

She nods and bites her lip again as I pull my boxers down slowly. When my cock springs free, she gives my ego a big boost by letting out a tiny gasp that turns into a long moan. I'm not freakishly large, but I'm a little bigger than average. It's not like she was completely unaware of my size, but it's fucking great that she's impressed anyway. It's even more fanfuckingtastic that the sight of me turns her on. Because the sight of her? I'm hard as a fucking rock.

I crawl up onto my king sized bed and lay my body on top of hers. "Are you sure?" I just gotta know. I gotta know that I'm not alone in this shit.

She takes a deep breath and I love that she's actually thinking about it. I don't want quick decisions that will be regretted in the harsh light of day. "I've never been surer of anyone in my entire life." My heart is ready to fucking burst at the words she just uttered. She said anyone – as in me. Not anything – as in the sex.

She wants _us_.

* * *

**A/N: Ah! Edward is a closet sweetheart. I love it. That is not the end of the lemon! I promise. The lemony goodness will hit overdrive in chapter 61. I wanted to split this for three reasons: the next part will be BPOV. Plus: This was already over 1,000 words. And: The Patriots start in an hour. Heh. :D GO PATS!**

**See you in the morning. **


	61. Chapter 61

.

.

.

**BPOV**

I answer his simple question – knowing it's not simple at all – with only a little hesitation. Well, it's not really hesitation – I'm thinking about it. Am I sure? I know that I not only want to be with Edward right now, but I want to be with him…forever? That seems so romanticized and cliché, but it doesn't make it any less true. It is true. It's the truest thing I've ever known. "I've never been surer of anyone in my entire life." I don't know where this sudden clarity is coming from, but I'm not going to question it too much – it feels too right.

His smile is blinding. It makes me smile right back at him. He leans down and presses his lips gently against mine as I run my hands along his muscled back. I use my nails to scratch gently at his skin, making him groan against my lips. I smirk, loving the effect that I have on him, knowing how much he affects me.

As if reading my mind, his fingers find the proof of just _how much_ he affects me. I'm soaked and ready for him – almost embarrassingly so – when he slides two fingers deep inside me. I gasp and buck my hips, desperately wanting more. His breathing is rough and ragged against my neck when he buries his face into my shoulder.

Edward's fingers continue to pump me as he circles his thumb teasingly around my swollen clit. He keeps up his ministrations until I'm gasping and writing and before I even know what hits me, my body convulses violently. I squeeze my eyes shut tightly and silently scream; the sensations are almost too much as they rocket through me.

"Fuck. You're so sexy when you cum for me." Edward's words spark the desire that had quelled slightly in the wake of my orgasm. Suddenly I want him even more than before and my thighs wrap around his hips on their own volition. He grins down at me when I tuck the heels of my feet behind his knees, securing him to me tightly. "Bella…I-"

"Edward. Don't. Just…be with me." I don't want words. I'll start overthinking everything and I'll ruin the best thing that's ever happened to me. I need to just be with him. I need to feel, I don't need to think. "Please, Edward, fuck me. _Show me_."

He reaches his hand down in between us and a second later I feel the thick head of his cock rubbing all around my clit. I gasp and grind up against him, almost exploding at that simple contact alone. Jesus this man and his cock.

Edward laughs. "Which do you like more? Me or my cock?"

"I love you both equally. Now fuck me."

His eyes widen before he crashes his mouth down onto mine. I whimper against his assault but my body betrays my sounds; I grip his hair and pull his mouth against mine even harder. While our tongues battle against each other for dominance, his cock slips in between my wet folds, making Edward grunt when I engulf him completely. "Oh fuck," he hisses. "You're so motherfucking tight."

"So, so, good. Don't stop." He pulls out of me almost completely before slowly sliding back in to the hilt. "Shiiit," I groan as he swivels his hips, hitting my clit with each movement. He rests all of his weight on his forearms, letting his forehead touch mine as he continues to slowly torture me; fucking me slowly and gently. "Harder," I whine, not caring that I sound somewhat pathetic in my begging.

"Can't," he grunts. "Feels too fucking good. I want this to last."

"Edward, baby, please." I feel like I'm on the verge of either screaming or crying. My emotions are all over the place. I don't know if it was the pet name or the please, but I get what I want.

Suddenly Edward's hands are underneath my back as he securely grips my shoulders. Anchoring himself to me, he begins pounding my pussy; so hard that he drives our joined bodies up the bed a few inches. I cry out, feeling my orgasm approaching for the second time.

When Edward's movements become erratic, I reach between us and rub my clit in fast circles. My fingers brush against his cock on each pass making him grunt and groan. "Fuck Bella, I'm gonna cum."

"Yesss," I hiss, wanting his release more than my own. He's made me cum already, he's made me feeling amazing, he's made me feel…so much; too much. I want him to feel good too. I need him to cum inside me. "Cum baby. I want it, I need it."

That, combined with three more powerful pumps, is all it takes for Edward to cum. "FUCK! Fuck Bella. Shiiiit!" He cums inside me in long spurts, filling me completely. His orgasm and his sounds trigger my second and I'm whimpering and screaming his name while he grinds against my hand that's still rubbing my clit.

After a few seconds we both still. The only movements and sounds are the product of our heavy breathing.

We're both silent for what feels like hours but could have only been minutes. "I love you too, you know," Edward whispers.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah you do! Who thinks Bella is going to freak out? Does she even realize she said it first? Who thinks she won't freak out? Who thinks she's a lucky bitch? Who thinks they forgot the condom? Lol! Thoughts?**


	62. Chapter 62

.

.

.

**BPOV**

I grin when Edward's words sink in. Yesterday they would have freaked me out. Hell,_ hours_ ago they would've freaked me out. I can't point out what changed, but _something_ irrevocably has. I'm not stupid; I know I let those words slip out. If I didn't mean them, I'd be panicking right now, but I did mean them; with every fiber of my being I meant them.

It's crazy and insane and incredibly scary, but it's true. I love this man. When he wraps his arms around me and pulls me against him tighter, I let out a content filled sigh. "What are you thinking?" he murmurs against my shoulder.

"Nothing," I lie. He chuckles against my skin. "What's so funny?"

"You can't lie for shit, Bella. You're thinking something. Spill it."

"I'm just thinking that this is…nice."

"Nice, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I think it's nice too."

I turn around in his arms and nestle my head against his chest, breathing him – _us_ – in. I love the smell of him and me mixed together; tangible proof of our love. _Love_. I never thought I'd truly be in love, especially after only knowing someone for a couple of days. That's ridiculously insane – something that only happens in fairy tales or the online stories that no one knows I secretly read.

"Will you stay?" Edward asks me quietly, a hint of worry lacing his soft tone.

"Yes," I whisper. "If you want me to."

"Bella, if I had it my way, you'd never leave."


	63. Chapter 63

.

.

.

**EPOV**

When the morning sun hits my face, I pull a pillow over my head, trying to block it out. I'm having a fuckawesome dream and I'll somehow fuck the sun up if it wakes me from it fully. In my dream, Bella is in my arms, and I'm not going to willingly give that shit up.

A tiny whimper makes my eyes snap open. I look down at Bella's peaceful face and smile. It's not a fucking dream. I mentally slap myself for thinking it was before placing my lips against her forehead. She scrunches her nose up adorably and licks her lips. _Fuck_, I wanna lick those lips. So I do; because I fucking can.

Using the tip of my tongue, I lick her bottom lip, causing a tiny moan to escape from between them. Her sounds encourage me and I crawl on top of her warm body gently, not wanting to wake her…_yet_. I smirk when I realize we're still naked. That's the best kind of convenience ever.

I use my tongue to trace patters from her chin down her neck until my mouth hovers over one of her nipples. I let my hot breath was over it and watch in fascination as it puckers. I let my tongue dart out and flick her pink flesh. She whimpers and it goes straight to my already aching cock.

I let my tongue continue south, not stopping until I reach her bellybutton. I dip my tongue inside and give it a little swirl making her giggle softly. For a second, I think she's awake, but I realize after a minute that her breathing is still deep and regular.

Seconds later, my face is in between her spread thighs. She may be asleep, but her body is wide awake and ready for my touch. I use the tip of my tongue yet again – this time taking a long lick of her soaked folds from bottom to top. "Ohhhh," she moans and pushes her hips up toward my face. I wrap my mouth around her swollen clit and suck roughly, causing her back to arch and her hands to fly into my hair.

She grips it roughly, yanking me further into her, making me grin against her flesh. "Edward," she whimpers out my name. "Fuck." I shove my face against her pussy as I continue to suck on her clit. "More. I need more. Shiiit. That feels amazing baby."

I shove two fingers through her lips making her yelp. I pump them in and out of her wet pussy quickly, loving the sounds their actions make. Bella isn't shy. She rides my fingers like they're my cock, which makes my cock fucking weep. I use my position on the mattress to grind my dick against it, relieving a little bit of pressure.

When she cums all over my tongue, I lap at it greedily, drinking every drop of her sweet juices. When I crawl up her body I'm rewarded with a beautiful smile and a hot fucking kiss. She shoves her tongue in my mouth, tasting herself on my tongue.

"That was amazing," she breathes. "Thank you."

"Anything for you," I whisper before kissing her chastely.

* * *

**A/N: Whew! I wish Edward would wake _me_ up like that! Lol**


	64. Chapter 64

**A/N: I'm spoiling y'all today.**

* * *

**EPOV**

Bella fell asleep not long after I went down on her. It didn't piss me off, it made me fucking ecstatic. I loved that I wore her out so much that she needed a nap. Plus, I loved the fact that I made her happy – if her sleepy smile was any indication.

That's all I want; I want to make her happy. If I make her happy, she'll stay with me. That's what I need. I need her to realize that I'm not out to get her. I'm with her because I want to be, because I _need_ to be, because as crazy as it may be – I fucking _love_ her.

I'm going to do anything it takes to make her smile; starting with the most important thing. Reaching for my phone on my nightstand, I slip out of bed quietly. I scroll until I find his number and hit it, hating the nervousness that fills my stomach as it rings.

"Hello?" his voice croaks on the other end. I look at the clock on the kitchen wall. Shit, it's only seven in the morning on a Sunday. "Hello?" he rasps again.

"Shit. I'm sorry Dad. I didn't realize the time."

"Edward? It's okay Son. Is everything alright?"

I smile despite feeling like a dick. My dad is awesome.

"Yeah. Well, no. I mean…shit. I don't know. It's kind of complicated."

"It's a little early for a complicated phone call, wouldn't you say?"

I cursed under my breath, feeling like a little kid being chastised. "Yeah, I guess it is. Listen Dad, I'm sorry. I'll call you back later if that's okay."

"No. How about we meet up for coffee?"

Relief floods through me. "Yeah that sounds great."

* * *

**A/N: What's our boy up to?**


	65. Chapter 65

.

.

.

**BPOV**

Waking up in Edward's bed alone makes me panic; until I cover every inch of the mattress with my fingers and find a note tucked safely near my pillow.

_Bella,  
I ran out to get us breakfast. I'm sorry if you woke without me there. I miss you. Be back soon.  
Love, Edward_

I smile like a teenager whose crush passed her a note in class as I reread it over and over again until my bladder screams for me to get up. After handling my human moments, and going downstairs to find my small clutch, I crawl back into the warmth of Edward's bed. I lay my head on Edward's pillow, greedily inhaling his scent.

My phone chimes and pulls me from my creepy stalker moment.

**You okay? – R**

**I'm great! – B**

**Someone got laid. ;) – R**

Instead of texting back, I call her. She answers on the first ring.

"Emmett, back off! I need to talk to Bella." I giggle when I hear him grumbling in the background. "Why don't you go make some coffee baby? You're gonna need the energy," she practically purrs at him.

"Ew, Rose. Was that necessary?"

"Oh shut up whore. Tell me about _your_ night."

I relay everything that happened at the wedding, glossing over my weird conversation with his dad. I give her the nitty gritty details I know she craves and she squeals in all the right places. I take a deep breath, considering if I should tell her about the words we exchanged.

"Um…Edward told me that he loves me."

"What?" she practically shrieks. "That boy is insane."

My stomach drops. If my best friend thinks it's crazy, then…

_No_. I can't let her opinion matter. This is too important.

"…I swear Bella don't fuck it up."

Too involved with my own thoughts, I only heard the end of Rose's threat. "What?"

"You heard me. Do. Not. Fuck. This. Up." _Huh_? "That boy is insane for telling you so soon, but listen to me, he _does_ love you. Even if you don't feel it for him yet, trust me, you will. I don't know how I know, but I even knew that first night in Twilight. There's something between the two of you. Time doesn't matter. Got it?"

Wait. "Are you telling me that you don't think Edward is insane for loving me after only knowing me for days?"

"That's right," she says almost defensively.

"Good." I take a deep breath. "Because I love him too."

My best friend has never been a girly squealer but she's done a hell of a lot of it this morning. "I'm so fucking happy for you Bella. Don't let yourself get scared okay? He does love you. I see it whenever he looks at you. I'm guessing you're not coming home today?" I can hear the smirk in her voice.

"Nope, I'm not."

"Emmett! We're having a naked Sunday!"

"Fuck yeah!" I hear him shout from somewhere in the apartment.

Normally I would roll my eyes at their ridiculousness, but looking down at my own naked body, I want a naked Sunday of my own.


	66. Chapter 66

.

.

.

**EPOV**

I'm fucking nervous as I sit in the middle of the small Starbucks waiting for my father to arrive. I'm worried about a lot of shit – mostly how he's going to take what I have to say and if he can even help me at all.

When the small bell chimes above the door, I look up to see my father walk in. He smiles and gives me a small wave before making his way to the counter to get his coffee. He makes it to the table and takes a few sips of his coffee before he speaks.

"So, what is so important Edward?" He arches a curious eyebrow at me.

"I need your help Dad."

"With?"

"Bella."

"What about Bella?"

I take a deep breath. "This is kind of a long story but…Bella's best friend is in hospice care. He wound up there because-"

"I know all about Jacob Black, Edward." He gives me a sad smile when my mouth pops open in shock. "I was a consultant on his case last year."

"What? How? What?"

"I knew I recognized Bella from somewhere, but I just couldn't place her. I spoke to her briefly at the reception, just to make sure I was right. I didn't want to upset her. She's a very admirable young woman. Not many people would step in and take care of the medical bills of someone who is not their relative, especially anonymously."

I nod. I know all of this. It's one of the many reasons I fucking love her. "Dad. You know how she makes that money now, obviously." He nods slowly. "She can't keep doing that Dad. I need you to help her; to help us."

His brow furrows. "How can I help?"

"I don't know," I admit with a shake of my head. "I would pay for it myself but with her that's just not an option. I don't really know what you could do professionally...or...I just…need your help." I sound stupid and desperate, but fuck, I am.

"Edward, I need to ask you a question." I arch a questioning eyebrow at him. "Don't be upset, but I need to ask."

"Okaaay…"

"Do you think she's using you?"

For the first time in my life, I legitimately consider punching my own father directly in his fucking mouth.


	67. Chapter 67

.

.

.

**BPOV**

I was expecting Edward to return with bagels, coffee, and a smile. I was not expecting Edward to return empty handed and fuming. I'd never seen Edward mad. I'd be lying if I said it didn't turn me on, but obviously now was not the time to be a horny bitch.

"Edward?" I ask cautiously. It's like he doesn't even notice me standing in the middle of his living room. He just paces back and forth, abusing his poor hair with violent tugs as he mutters shit I can't understand. I don't try to get his attention again. I just let him walk it out.

After a few minutes, he finally settles down enough to look at me. When he does his jaw clenches. My stomach drops to my knees. Is he mad at _me_? Why would he be upset with me? A million terrible things rush through my head. Maybe he regrets last night. "What's wrong?" my voice waivers as I ask him.

He takes a shuddering breath and walks toward me with purpose. I take a step back and he stops in his tracks. "Why did you just move away from me?" All signs of anger are gone, replaced with hurt and rejection.

This time it's me rushing toward him. He doesn't move. He just looks at me warily and opens his arms to me. He crushes me to his chest, hugging me so tightly it's almost hard to breathe. "What's wrong?" I ask him again.

"My fucking father."

It's all he says but that's all I need to hear.

His parents don't want him to be with me.

I knew this was too good to be true.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**


	68. Chapter 68

.

.

.

**EPOV**

When Bella asks me what's wrong, all I can think is – that's a really loaded fucking question. So much seems wrong when about an hour ago I was on cloud fucking nine. "Nothing," I lie lamely.

She narrows her eyes up at me and I sigh before dragging her toward my couch. I plop down and she sits on my lap, placing her head under my chin. "What happened with your dad?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," I mumble. I squeeze her to me tightly when I feel her tense. "What?"

"Did he um…say that he…didn't want you to be with me?" Her voice is shaking by the end of her question. I lean back and make her look at me. She bites her lip and looks really nervous. "It's okay if he did. I mean…I understand. I'm sure I wouldn't want my successful son to settle for a stripper either." She lets out a laugh that has no humor.

"Bella," I sigh her name. "He didn't say or think any of that."

She gives me a disbelieving look. "Then why are you so upset with him?"

I have to just tell her. I mean, yeah my dad was a fucking dick because of what he said, but I know why he asked me that. I didn't punch him in his face. We talked and he explained himself. I would probably feel the same way if my kid came to me and said he loved a chick after only knowing her for a couple of days. And on top of that – wanted to pay off a huge debt for her. But still, I don't want to tell her and have her feelings hurt.

"He asked me if you were using me."

She flinches and I feel like an asshole. "Why would he ask you that?"

"Because I asked him for help."

"Help with what?"

"Jacob."

**A/N: What's Bella gonna think?**


	69. Chapter 69

.

.

.

**BPOV**

"Your father?" I squeak out the question, letting my nerves get the best of me. I inwardly cringe at how childish and afraid I sound, but that's how I'm feeling right now. If Edward's father – or any of his family really – doesn't think he should be with me, then he won't be. I know how important his family is to him, I saw it at the wedding. Even if he tried to choose me over them, I would not let him. I refuse to let myself be the reason for a rift between them all.

This is exactly why I didn't want to let this happen – why I didn't want to fall for Edward Cullen. Every time I let myself try to be happy, karma smacks me back down into place. I know that's what this is – its karma. It's my punishment for what I did to Jacob. I'm not supposed to be happy. Why should I be, when he has to live in the miserable existence that my stupid choices created for him?

"I know that all sounds bad but please don't be upset with me Bella. You have to know I was only trying to help."

Huh? "I'm sorry, what?"

He narrows his eyes at me slightly. "Were you even listening to me just now?"

I bite my lip and shake my head. He huffs and steps back. "I'm sorry. I wasn't ignoring you or anything. I was just…thinking and I kinda spaced out. What did you say?"

His eyes soften slightly and he leads me to the couch. He tries to pull me down onto his lap, but I insist on sitting next to him. I try to ignore the pout that covers his face so I won't give in and sit with him. I have to start putting distance between us.

I should've known that I couldn't have a happy ever after.

That's not for girls like me.

**A/N: Oh, Bella…such a pessimist. Lol**


	70. Chapter 70

.

.

.

**EPOV**

My heart plummets when she refuses to sit on my lap. She says that she wasn't paying attention to what I said – but her actions say otherwise. Why else would she be pushing me away? I almost don't want to repeat what I said for fear that she'll push me away even more. Maybe she'll push me right out of her life. My stomach churns at just the thought.

"What did you say?"

Her question snaps me out of my inner turmoil. I can't tell her.

_You have to. Suck it the fuck up._

"My father," she bites her lip and nods. "I met with him this morning to see if he could help you. I don't know what I expected him to do…maybe find a way to pay for Jacob's care or something." Her eyes widen and she opens her mouth to speak, but I hold up a hand, because I need to get this shit out. "I know you don't want help but you need it." Her eyes narrow. "I asked him but he didn't know what he could do. I told him I'd pay for it myself-"

"No!" she interrupts me. "I would never let you do that."

I smile slightly despite the seriousness of our conversation. This is a woman my father thinks could essentially be a gold digger? Please. _Get to the point Edward, come on_! "I know and I told him that as well. But he still…" my jaw clenches as I try to control the rage that hits me yet again from just thinking of what he said.

"He what?" she asks with the saddest expression I've seen on her so far.

Just say it. Quickly. Like ripping off a Band-Aid. "He asked if it's at all possible that you're…using me."

She gasps.

I wince.

Fuck.


	71. Chapter 71

.

.

.

**BPOV**

My mind is going a mile a minute.

I'm not shocked, really. Well, I kind of am, because honestly – Carlisle seemed like a great guy. Sure, he creeped me out with all of the staring at first. But once I knew why he was staring, I came to realize he's a good guy. Or so I thought.

Look at it all from his point of view.

Right.

He sees his son – who is a new millionaire and will be recording his first record for his millions of adoring fans. You're a stripper who owes a lot of money to a very bad man and who also has a ton of bills stacked up just waiting to take any dime you earn…while stripping.

Yeah. I can't really blame the guy.

He doesn't know me. If I put myself in his shoes, I'd probably have the same reaction. So why do I feel so bad? So sad? So hurt? So…afraid? And when I look at Edward, it clicks. I'm feeling all of those things because…does he believe that as well? Does he think these things of me as well? Is that why he charged in here, so pissed off? Did his father bring up things he'd been worried about?

But then why did he want me to sit on his lap? Why did he look so hurt when I wouldn't?

Fuck, I'm so confused.

"Bella?" Edward says my name so softly. I avert my eyes back to his and see worry and concern in his features. "I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at my father."

Shit. Was I talking out loud?

"Um…no. Well you did just then but that's the first time." He looks so confused. Join the club.

"You're not mad at me?"

"No."

"Then why are you so angry?"

"I'm pissed at him for thinking of you like that Bella. I'm pissed at him for not helping and assuming the worst in you."

He's so sweet. "Can you really blame him? I mean, to him I'm just some stripper with a debt." I let out a small laugh to make light of it but Edward's face is serious as he pulls me onto his lap and cradles my face.

"Yeah? Well fuck him and everyone else who thinks that of you. Because to me Bella? Fuck, you're…everything."

**A/N: I want my own Edward. :(**


	72. Chapter 72

.

.

.

**EPOV**

I watch in relief as some of the tension leaves her body. Her face changes from worry to…something I can't place. Adoration? Love? Fuck if I know, but what I do know – it makes me feel fantastic. I love that I can put that look on her beautiful face.

"Yeah?" she asks me.

I nod, not able to find my voice. Fuck, the emotions I feel for this woman. It's insane. But it's the best kind of insanity. I press my lips against hers gently, just needing to feel connected to her – to let her know that what my father said didn't change shit for me. I need to know it didn't change anything for her either. "Are you okay?" I ask when I break the kiss.

She nods and gives me a small smile. "You sure?" She nods again and bites that fucking lip. I let out a groan. "Stop doing that shit."

"What?" she asks innocently; too innocently.

"Biting your lip. You know what you're doing." She lets out a little giggle that makes me really fucking happy. I decide to change the subject, because we have important shit to discuss, and if I keep talking about her lips, all I'm going to do is kiss them all day and we won't get shit accomplished. "I think we gotta talk, but first…is there anything you wanna do today?"

"Yeah," she says with a smirk. "I wanna have a naked Sunday."

Talking is overrated anyway. Right?

**A/N: Screw talking! Screw each other instead! Let's chant shall we? Naked Sunday! Naked Sunday! LOL**


	73. Chapter 73

.

.

.

**EPOV**

"Okay," I practically gasp out. "I think I need a break."

Bella pouts at me adorably before biting her lip. I groan and scrub a hand down my face. "Haven't you learned your lesson?" I grit out while she grins. We've spent the last three hours enjoying our "Naked Sunday" to the fullest – all because she can't keep her teeth out of that bottom goddamn lip.

"Nope," she pops the p and sticks her tongue out at me. She's so fucking cute. She climbs on top of me and giggles, rubbing up against my already hardening dick. "Break time is over."

_Fuck yes._

Just then, the shrill ring of her cell interrupts our naked bubble. She grabs for it and I tickle her sides, making her gasp and giggle as she answers breathlessly. "Hello?" All trace of humor leaves her face and her voice when the person on the other end replies. "Oh hello Aro."

My body goes rigid when I hear his name fall from her lips. I clench my jaw and my fists, trying to swallow back the venom that wants to erupt from me. "Give me the phone," I mouth.

Bella's eyes widen and she shakes her head.

I place my hand on her phone and remove it from her grasp – gently of course. "It's okay," I mouth silently again.

She bites her lip but this time it doesn't send a rush of lust through me, it makes my heart clench; she looks so fucking worried right now. The next words out of my mouth will erase that permanently. "Hello Aro. This is Edward Cullen. Bella no longer works for you."

And then I hang up.

* * *

**A/N: For those of you who read my other stories – they'll be a little late. ALIL will probably be posted by Monday. Next Friday for Dead in Forks. As some of you know – my laptop is being fixed. Sorry for the delay. There will continue to not be any delays with this story, because it's all pre-written now. :)**


	74. Chapter 74

.

.

.

**BPOV**

My mind is racing a mile a minute as I try and process what the fuck just happened.

"What…why…how…what the fuck?" I ramble out almost incoherently. "Hello?" I snap my fingers in front of Edward's calm face. "What the fuck was that about Edward?"

"What do you mean?" He honestly looks confused; which only pisses me off further. "You just quit my job for me! With Aro! Do you have any idea who that man is and what he can do? You can't just do shit like that to him. He's going to…"

My blood runs cold when my mind processes all of the possibilities, each one worse than the last.

"Bella…" Edward says my name gently as he runs his hands up and down my sides. "It'll be okay. You're going to work for me right?" The calm façade fades, quickly replaced by worry. "Shit. You want to work for me, right?" This time he sounds less confident. "Fuck. Do you?"

"I…I don't know," I answer honestly. "I want to but…it just…doesn't feel right, if we're like…" I motion between our very naked bodies. "If we're…" Fuck. I have no idea how to classify our relationship. We've had sex. We love each other. But what does that make us?

"Bella," he sighs and smiles up at me. "I don't care about my girlfriend working for me." Did he just…he just called me his girlfriend. "If it makes you feel any better, we can draw up a more specific contract or something." He frowns as he thinks. "I could have my lawyer meet us tomorrow morning, first thing. What do you think? Will you work for me?"

I take a deep breath. "Yeah. I guess it wouldn't be so bad to work for my boyfriend. We can make out when I'm on the clock right?"

His eyes widen. "When you're on the _what_?"

I roll my eyes. "The _clock_, Edward. C-L-O-C-K."

He smiles up at me adorably. "I knew that."


	75. Chapter 75

.

.

.

**EPOV**

Waking up with Bella wrapped up in my arms for the second morning in a row is fucking amazing. Seriously, if I thought she'd say yes; I'd have her move in with me. Yeah, I know I'm fucking crazy. No need for the look. Unfortunately, I know Bella really well already, and I know asking would result in one thing: her running away at full speed.

She groans and snuggles deeper into my arms, nuzzling her face into the nook of my neck. Her warm breath against my skin makes me feel all…warm and fuzzy inside. "Bella," I whisper into her hair.

"Nooo," she whines. "Five more minutes."

"We need to get up now. You have to go home and shower and change, remember?"

She groans again and I chuckle. "Will you shower with me?" she asks hopefully.

"Fuck yeah I'll shower with you." She giggles against my neck. "I'll bring a change of clothes. We can shower, get dressed, grab something to eat, and then meet with Jenks."

"Okay," she sighs heavily as she sits up. "I'm not a morning person."

"I can tell," I answer with a laugh. She narrows her eyes at me but can't keep the smile off her face. "Come on. I'll carry you to the car."

"Piggyback?!" she asks like an excited five year old.

"Only if you give me a kiss."

She grins at me before tackling me to the bed, peppering my face with kisses.

"Shit," I mutter as my dick wakes up to join us. "We're gonna be late."

She smiles at me victoriously as she makes her way from my lips to my nipples. Her lips continue to travel lower.

Who needs to be punctual anyway?


	76. Chapter 76

.

.

.

**BPOV**

After giving Edward the blowjob that ends all blowjobs – his words, not mine – we head to my apartment.

"You okay?" Edward asks me as I stick my key into the lock. I nod. "You sure?"

I sigh. "I'm fine Edward. I promise." I'm not lying. I really am fine. Just a little nervous. And confused. But I'm fine.

I think.

"Okay," he says before kissing my temple.

I barely resist to withhold the girly ass squeal that wants to erupt from me. The man is a master of "the swoon" and I don't even think he's aware of it.

We walk into my apartment and…

"Whoa!" Edward.

"Sup man?" Emmett. A very smiling, very _naked_ Emmett.

"Cover your dick up Emmett." My tone of voice is normal. Almost as if I told him to turn up the heat or something. Edward's mouth is still open, so I reach up and push his chin up. He looks over to me and I can't help the small giggle that escapes. "I'm sorry. Emmett has boundary issues." I turn to face Emmett. "Seriously. Put your dick away. Where's Rose?"

He grabs a couch pillow and I make a note to never touch them again. "She's in the shower. What have you two been up to?" He waggles his eyebrows and makes kissy noises.

I ignore him.

"Hey."

"Nice of you to join us," I reply wryly to Rose's entrance.

"Well…I didn't want to walk out here naked and show your man my goods."

"My goods!" Emmett bellows.

"Yes baby, your goods." Rose kisses him sweetly, like a little boy who deserves a sticker.

They are _so_ weird.

"What are you two up to?" she asks when she turns to me.

"We're meeting with Edward's lawyer."

Rose whips around. "What did you do?"

Edward's gulp is audible.

**A/N: If anyone reads my story ALIL – it will update in a couple of hours. :)**


	77. Chapter 77

.

.

.

**EPOV**

"I didn't do anything!" I sputter, feeling like a pussy as each whiney word leaves my lips.

Unfortunately, Bella decides to answer as well, pointing out my lie.

"He quit my job for me. He told Aro I wasn't going to work for him anymore over the phone."

I scrunch my eyes shut, prepare myself for anything from Rose yelling to Rose hitting. Neither happens. I crack one eye open and am surprised to see her smiling at me.

"You did?" She sounds…gleeful?

"Uh…yeah?" It comes out like a question. I cough. "Yeah, I did." There you go Cullen. I almost believe you have a set of fucking balls.

Rose runs for me, and I instinctively cup my junk. So I'm pretty fucking shocked when Rose hugs me. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! So why are you going to see your lawyer?" Her elation turns to confusion as my confusion turns to…more confusion. Yeah.

"We're um…we're going to mostly cover our asses with Aro, but also because Bella is going to be my personal assistant." I'm fucking beaming but I don't give a shit. This is going to be awesome. Rose must agree with me because her smile has to be just as big as my own.

"That's so fucking great!" She launches herself at Bella next. "You're going to be so much happier. Make sure nothing interferes with your classes though," she says in a motherly tone that makes my hands roam lower again. Just in case. Ya know?

She turns to me and my hands – that are now thankfully in the region – cover my junk once more. "You better not let anything fuck with her schooling. You hear me Cullen?" I gulp but nod. "Good."

"Okay, well…if you're done," Bella says with a smirk to Rose. "We need to go shower."

As we're walking down the hallway, I hear Rose shout while Emmett laughs. "Do not touch my loofa! I paid two hundred bucks for that shit and it's not entering any orifices!"

_Jesus_.


	78. Chapter 78

**If you're wondering why this is so late, read the A/N on the new chapter of ALIL. Sorry for the delay.**

* * *

**EPOV**

"Edward," Jenks says with a smile as we enter his office. Jenks has been my lawyer since the show began, but I've known him my entire life. He's our family lawyer. I trust him implicitly. Which is why I know we have no reason to worry here. I just wish I could convince Bella of that too.

He extends his hand and I shake it before he pulls me into a tight hug. "It's been too long boy! So…" he says as he steps back. "Who is this lovely woman with you?"

Bella blushes and I have to chuckle, earning me a pair of narrowed eyes from her. "Sorry," I mouth before I take her hand and turn back toward Jenks. "This, is my beautiful girlfriend, Bella Swan."

"Nice to meet you," Bella says shyly.

"Ah," Jenks laughs. "I think it's safe to say that the pleasure is all mine lovely Bella."

His comment only causes her to blush more.

Fuck, I love her.

"Anyway," Jenks says with a smile. "Let's sit and discuss, shall we?"

I nod and lead Bella toward the small couch near Jenks' desk. We're not formal with each other ever, so Jenks sits down in the small arm chair across from the couch.

"Okay," I nod. "We need two things from you today." Jenks smirks. "I need you to draw up a contract for Bella." He looks confused. "She's going to be my new assistant. You know, the thing everyone keeps telling me to get." Pointed look at Jenks himself – one of the fuckers who wouldn't leave me be about this whole shit.

"Okay," Jenks says slowly. "What is this contract going to entail?"

"It's just to protect Bella and myself if anything were to happen with our relationship."

"So we're talking about a confidentiality clause and a work protection clause?" He claps his hands. "Okay! And what else?"

"Well…" I trail off and rub my neck. "Bella recently quit her job – without two weeks' notice and-" A resounding smack fills the room. "Ow! Fuck Bella!" I look at her in disbelief. She glares at me before facing Jenks.

"Edward quit my job for me, by snatching the phone out of my hand."

"Oh Edward," Jenks chuckles. "I like this one. You hold onto her." He shakes his head and continues to laugh while he writes on a legal notepad. "So you're worried that your boss is going to cause trouble because you quit without notice?"

"Well…" Bella trails off uncomfortably. "It's a bit more complicated than that." Jenks raises an eyebrow. "Aro Volturi is kind of an asshole."

"I know Aro well," Jenks says with a grim look on his face. "What does he have on you, honey?" Bella's eyebrows rise as quickly as mine. Jenks sighs. "You're not the only girl he's fucked with. Excuse my language, but I have a few other cases involving him. He's a scumbag. So what's he got on you?"

"I took a loan out and-"

"One that I'm willing to cover." I interrupt. Jenks nods. I squeeze Bella's hand because I know she's fucking glaring at me.

"Okay." Jenks continues to scribble on his notebook. "I'll let you know when everything is drawn up." He stands and holds his hand out to me. Bella says thank you and walks toward the door. "I'll handle this for you," he says quietly. "You have my word."

"Thanks Jenks. I appreciate it. And you're right. I'm not letting this one go."

_No fuckin' way man_.


	79. Chapter 79

.

.

.

**BPOV**

I want to be furious with Edward for the stunt in Jenks' office. I want to do more than smack the back of his head. But when we exit Jenks' office, he reaches out and grabs my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. When he gives my hand a small and gentle squeeze, I reciprocate. He looks down at me and gives me a small smile before pulling his shades out of the collar of his v neck t-shirt and slipping them on his gorgeous face. And that entire exchange renders me useless, because I can't be mad at him.

When we get into the back of the car, I feel marginally better. Obviously, whether I was his girlfriend or not – a contract would have to be in place for his personal assistant. However, with our relationship being more than the normal worker-boss relationship, I feel better that the contract will specifically protects both of us in more secure ways.

"You okay? You look like you're thinking hard."

Edward's voice pulls me from my thoughts. I slide his glasses up his nose until they're nestled in the fuckery he calls hair. I grin when he frowns. "You don't need to wear them in the back of a car that has tinted windows, you know."

"Yeah, yeah," he mutters as he clips them back on his collar. "So? What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing really. A bit of everything." I shrug. "Can we uh…can we talk about the job?"

"Sure," he agrees easily. "What about it?"

He slides his arm around my shoulders and pulls me against him. I run my fingertips along his jaw as I look up at his handsome face. "What will my salary be? What will my job actually consist of? What are the hours going to be like? Will I work every day of the week? I have classes and-"

"Whoa. Slow down there." He laughs and kisses my cheek. "How about I take you out to eat and we'll hammer out the details?"

"On one condition."

"What's that?"

"That you hammer me later."

He barks out a laugh and throws his head back. When he looks down at me, he has the sweetest smile on his face. "What am I going to do with you?"

It seems like a rhetorical question, so I keep my answer to myself.

_Anything you want, Edward. Anything at all._


	80. Chapter 80

**EPOV**

I smile when Bella orders the same thing as me – a cheeseburger, fries, and an ice cold beer. I hate when chicks order a salad and claim that it fills them – only to touch my food ten minutes later.

"So," I say before taking a pull from my beer. "Your concerns about the job." Bella nods. "How much do you want to get paid?" Her cheeks flush pink and she shrugs. "Come on Bella. You know how much you want to get paid. Just give me a ballpark figure." She bites her lip and I sigh. "You wanna write it down?"

"Yeah." She looks grateful as she pulls a pen from her purse and scribbles on a napkin.

I look down and smile. "That's it?"

Her eyes widen. "Yeah?"

"That won't do." I shake my head. I write down my own number and shove the napkin toward her. "This is more reasonable."

"Ten thousand dollars?" she whisper-yells.

"Yeah, a month." I shrug. "I figure I can just have it deposited into your account on the first of every month." I run my hand through my hair. "I would really like to uh…" I hesitate, knowing this conversation will probably lead to an argument. But then I figure, fuck it, at least we're in a public place and she can't scream too loud. "I'd like to pay for Jacob's treatment." She goes to speak, probably to fuckin' yell at me, but I hold up a hand. "Listen Bella. Please." She nods at me with narrowed eyes. "I have the means to pay for Jacob's care. You don't."

"I've been paying for it for an entire year," she sneers at me as she crosses her arms over her chest.

Fuck. I don't like the way this is going at all. This feels like a business meeting. Not like I'm talking to my girlfriend.

I stand up and make my way around the table, sliding into the booth beside Bella. I take her hand in mine and run soothing circles around her palm. "I know you have. I know you've been doing a lot on your own. I know we haven't known each other long at all, and we've been together even less time than that, but I want to help you. Okay? Please. Just let me help you."

Her shoulders slump and I watch in horror as her eyes fill with tears. "Shit. I…I'm sorry. Forget it if it's going to upset you so much. I shouldn't have…fuck! I don't know what I'm doing here Bella. All I know is that I fucking love you and I want you to be safe and happy and cared for…"

I don't get to finish my impromptu speech. Because that's when her lips attack mine. I groan and place my free hand on the back of her head, holding it tightly in an effort to never let her go. The kiss heats up quickly and it takes me a minute to remember where we are. I slow the kiss down, until it's a few chaste pecks.

"Okay," she murmurs against my lips.

"Okay?"

"Yeah."

"You'll let me help you? Take care of you? Make me happy?"

"On one condition."

I smile and roll my eyes, remember her last condition. This new condition shocks me.

"You let me do the same for you. I love you too and all I want is your safety and your happiness. And I want to be the one to give it to you."

I swallow back the lump of emotion and nod my agreement.


	81. Chapter 81

**BPOV**

"Oh god," I groan as I fist Edward's hair. "Ah! Right there!" He swirls his tongue around my clit, making my eyes cross. He moans against my soaked flesh, making what he's already doing even more intense. I whimper as I grind my hips up against his mouth.

"God Bella, you're so fucking sexy."

Using my hand's position, I pull his face back down to my pussy. He chuckles before sucking my clit into his mouth at the same exact time that he slides two fingers through my lips. "Shiiiit," I moan. "I'm gonna…oh God…more!"

He complies with my request – swirling the tip of his tongue around my clit before his tongue darts downward, licking up and down my wet slit before plunging in and joining his fingers.

"FUCK!" I all but scream. He removes his fingers slowly, moving his thumb along my lips until he finds my clit, which he rubs in rough, fast circles. "I'm gonna cum," I whine – wanting to cum so badly while simultaneously wanting to drag out this amazing sensation for as long as humanly possible.

"Cum all over my tongue Bella," Edward says roughly before redoubling his efforts.

Before I know what's happening, pleasure surges from my belly, making me silently scream as it spreads to every inch of my sweating body.

Edward laps at my juices, moaning as he does so, before crawling up my body. I can feel him hot and thick against my thigh, and even though I just had a mind-blowing orgasm, I want him more than ever.

I reach between us and grab his cock, pumping it slowly – once, twice, three times – before Edward literally growls and grabs my hand, yanking it away. "You're not going to make me cum in your hand baby, are you?" he coos as he fists his erection, rubbing it up and down the swollen lips of my pussy. After sliding only the head of his cock inside me, he leans down and whispers huskily in my ear. "I'd much rather cum in this tight pussy." And then he rams every inch of his rigid cock inside me, making me choke out a moan as the feeling of being completely filled by him assaults every one of my senses.

He's not gentle or sweet about it – and I don't want him to be. I want it rough, hard, and fast. I want Edward to lose control with me. I want to see him let go completely. I want him to use me for his pleasure – because I'm sure as hell going to use him for mine.

I wrap my legs around his waist tightly, pulling him impossibly closer as I raise my hips up in time with each of his thrusts. He reaches down and grabs my tits in his calloused palms, kneading them roughly before pinching my nipples. I cry out and he smirks. "Do you like that baby?" All I can manage is a whore-like moan. "Are you gonna cum for me again, Bella?"

"Yes!" I cry out, feeling my orgasm approach at rapid speed.

"You better cum for me right now baby, 'cause I can't fucking hold it any longer." He reaches in between our sweaty bodies and beings rubbing my clit quickly. "Ah, fuck, baby, you feel so good wrapped around my cock," he groans as his thrusts become quicker; more erratic as he approaches his own release.

I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling his lips down to mine so I can kiss him hungrily. I can taste myself on his tongue, and that's what pushes me over the edge. White light blinds me temporarily as an even more powerful orgasm hits me, literally rendering me breathless. When I finally have enough air in my lungs, I manage a small moan that quickly turns into a whimper.

"Shit, shit, shit," Edward chants as he pounds into me – two, three, four more times – until I feel him spill inside me.

He collapses on top of me, letting all of his weight rest on me temporarily. He kisses my forehead sweetly. "How was that for hammering?" he asks me sleepily.

I barely have enough energy to laugh, but I manage a small giggle. He chuckles as I he pulls out of me gently, rolling over and taking me with him – tucking me safely into his arms.

"It was okay."

"Just okay?" he asks as he tickles me.

"It…was…fucking…amazing!" I gasp out in between my laughter.

"Damn right it was. Just like you."

I fall a little more in love with him as I doze off, nuzzled against his neck.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, almost 800 words of pure smut, lol. Hope you enjoyed. :x**


	82. Chapter 82

**EPOV**

"I don't get why I need all of this stuff. It feels like you're just trying to spend money on me."

I roll my eyes at Bella's ridiculous statement and ask the dude behind the little stand-alone counter to get me two iPads. Okay, honestly, the iPads aren't _really_ work-related. As in – she won't be doing any work on hers, but they_ are_ needed. I know first-hand how boring it can be when you're traveling and waiting on other people to get shit ready for interviews, photo shoots, and all that other annoying shit. We're both going to need something to do.

"Edward," Bella whines when the guy returns with the iPads. "I don't need all of this."

"Yes you do Bella."

"Could you excuse us for a second?" Bella asks the guy sweetly.

When he blushes and stutters out a mumbled "sure" – all while staring at her tits – I want to shove him in the trunk of that ugly black and white Geek Squad car.

"Edward?" Bella brings my attention back to her, interrupting the glare fest I was having with the geek's back. "You're already spending so much on me. Please…I…I feel uncomfortable," she whispers as she wraps her arms around herself.

I frown. "Why? Bella this is all work-related stuff. It's stuff you're going to need to perform your job duties. I'm not just splurging and spoiling you."

"What do I need an iPad for? How is it work-related? Do you need me to get you a high score in Temple Run?"

I snicker. "No. But we're both getting one, because we need something to do in our down time. Bella, all of this," I point to everything on the counter, "is needed. You need the laptop and the blackberry for my scheduling and shit. The iPhone is going to be for me to get in contact with you whenever I need to. Plus, it's cool." I grin at her. "And yours is an old model. This one is better."

"Then why can't I buy this stuff? I already have my first month's salary – which is way too much, considering you want to pay Jake's medical bills and pay off Aro's debt." She blushes. "I feel like…like a loser. Or a gold-digging whore. It varies."

My mouth pops open in shock. "What?"

"Edward," she sighs and runs a hand through her hair. "Can we not talk about this here? Forget I brought it up."

I'm about to argue with her when I notice that people are beginning to recognize me. "Okay." I know I'm going to have to deal with the fans, and I'd rather not argue with my girlfriend in front of them. "But I'm buying this shit. And we're talking about this later."

She bites her lip but nods in agreement.

Suddenly I can't wait to get home and sort this shit out once and for all.


	83. Chapter 83

.

.

.

**BPOV**

As soon as we're in Edward's car, he turns to face me, looking slightly pissed off. I swallow nervously and avoid his gaze. I feel bad. He was so excited when we first went into the store and I ruined it with my insecurities. "Bella, please look at me."

I bite my lip and look up at him. "I'm sorry," I blurt out. "I didn't mean to…to be such an ungrateful bitch in there." Edward opens his mouth to speak, but I hold up my hand. "It's just…you want to pay for Jake's medical care, you want to pay off my debt to Aro, and you want to pay me_ ten thousand dollars_ a month. Don't you see how that's just…a little…too much?"

He looks at me for a few minutes without saying a word, making my stomach ache terribly. I wish I knew what he was thinking.

He surprises me completely when he finally speaks. "Fuck. I'm sorry Bella. I'm smothering you, aren't I?" He shakes his head. "I just…I want to take care of you so badly. I guess I went overboard, huh?" He gives me a sheepish smile and takes my hand. "What do you want?"

Now I feel worse.

Edward hasn't done anything wrong, all he wants to do is help me, and I'm being ridiculous. "I'm sorry…again." I chuckle awkwardly. "All you're trying to do is help me and I'm being stupid. It's just…I feel like you're doing everything for me and I'm doing nothing for you." I shrug. "Relationships are supposed to be about being equals and I just feel like this is really one-sided."

"Bella, I get it. Okay? I do. But don't you get it? You don't have to buy me things and give me money for me to love you or feel like you care. All I need you to do is what you already do – I just need you to love me."

I chuckle and shake my head. "Oh, Edward. What am I going to do with you?"

He frowns. "What?"

"Don't you see? That's all I want from you too."


	84. Chapter 84

.

.

.

**EPOV**

I open my mouth and close it about five times before I speak. "Huh." Yeah, that's all I have to fucking say about this turn of events. Honestly, I'm kinda baffled. I don't know why, really. I mean, obviously I know Bella doesn't love me and isn't with me just because I'm rich and famous. Hell, she gives me so much shit sometimes that I think she loves me in spite of it. But to hear her say that all she needs is my love? Fuck man. I don't know. It just does shit to me.

"That's all you have to say?" Bella asks with a cocked eyebrow.

"Um…" I shrug and smile sheepishly. "Yeah?"

"You are unbelievable, Edward Cullen."

I've learned a few things in the short time that I've known Bella Swan and one of those things – it's never good when she full names ya.

"I'm sorry," I sigh and take her hand. "I know that all you want and need is my love, okay?" She hesitates, but nods. So I continue. "But…I don't know." I shrug again. "I just wanna spoil you. Is that so bad? So wrong?"

"No," she answers immediately with a shake of her head. She squeezes my hand, and the tiny gesture makes me smile. "It's not a big deal…for normal couples. But Edward you're not just rich, you're famous. You have tabloids following you all of the time and gossip magazines running stories on you. Is it so hard for you to understand that I don't want to be one of those stories?"

"No…"

"Edward Cullen, dating PA!" She ticks off a finger. "Edward Cullen dating gold-digger." Another finger. "I can go on and on. And it's not just the tabloids. Your dad had his own opinion before he ever really knew what was going on. Now that we're actually dating…who knows what he or the rest of your family will think of me."

An idea hits me. "You know what? I wanna get this shit out in the open once and for all. We're going to have dinner with my family."


	85. Chapter 85

**A/N: For those of you who read my other stories - they will be updated this weekend for sure. I've had a crazy freakin' week.**

* * *

.

.

.

**BPOV**

Thanks to both mine and Edward's schedules we're not able to have dinner with his family for a few weeks. We've technically been together for a month now, but that doesn't quell my nerves as I slide into the passenger seat of Edward's Aston.

After pulling out of the parking space, Edward reaches across and squeezes my thigh. "You okay baby?" I give him a small smile and nod. "You sure?"

"I promise." I place my hand over his hand that' resting on my thigh. "I'm just a little bit nervous."

"There's nothing to be nervous about Bella," he tries to assure me. "My mother is more excited to see you than me." I chuckle at that, knowing it's nothing but the truth. I'd been speaking to Esme a lot over the phone and honestly, I feel like I already know her.

I guess I'm most nervous about seeing Alice, Jasper, and Dr. Cullen.

"Besides," Edward smirks as he stops at a red light. "I had to meet your family. This is payback." He wink at me and then returns his attention to the road as the light turns green.

He's focusing on driving, so at first, he doesn't realize that I'm gaping at him. He's met my family? What the hell is he talking about? Is he seriously trying to hurt my feelings right now?

Edward glances over at me. "What?"

"You haven't met my family. Why would you say that?"

His brow scrunches together as a deep frown takes over his face. "I have met your family." He looks at me like I'm stupid. "What the hell do you call that fuckery with Rose and Emmett? Not meeting them? Actually, you're right. I haven't met your family – I've been verbally assaulted by them."

He considers Rose and Emmett my family? That's…that's…

I launch myself at him, attacking his face with kisses.

"Bella! Shit…" he mutters as he maneuvers the car toward the side of the road. After throwing it in park, he grabs my face in his hands and kisses me deeply. "Are you trying to kill us?" he asks me breathlessly as he pulls away from my lips. "Not that I'm complaining, but, what was that for?"

"You think of Rose and Em as my family."

He nods slowly. "Yeah?"

"Thank you," I say seriously, trying to hold off on the tears. "You don't know how much that means to me."

He gives me an adorable smile. "I think I do. So…" he raises an eyebrow. "Are you ready to face the firing squad?"

I swallow and nod. "Yeah, bring them the fuck on."

Edward smirks as he pulls back into traffic. "That's my girl."


	86. Chapter 86

**A/N: Today is my brother's birthday, so I'm hoping that I'll have the new chapters of ALIL and HIWYA edited and up by tonight. As for AFL...I'm thinking this will be wrapped up around 100 chapters...so we're almost done. :(**

.

.

.

**EPOV**

"Bella! Oh, honey it's so lovely to have you here!" My mother squeals before descending and practically hugging the life out of Bella. She's a good sport though, and hugs my mother back just as tightly.

"Thank you Esme. I'm really excited to be here." I can tell she's being genuine and I know she's excited to be here…but I can't ignore the nervousness in her demeanor.

"Son!" I hear my father bellow from the front door. He runs down the stairs quick and envelopes me in a man hug. "How are ya?" he asks with a grin as he pulls away. I look to Bella quickly and she gives me a small smile, letting me know she's okay.

"I'm great Dad. Where's Jazz and Ali?"

"They're inside," my mother answers for my father before taking his hand. "Carlisle, come say hello to Bella."

"Ah," he says with a nod as he follows my mother toward my girlfriend. I take a deep breath and try to relax, but I can't help but feel anxious. "Hello Bella. It's so lovely to see you again." He's being genuine, which makes me relax…slightly.

"It's good to see you again too, Dr. Cullen." Bella says with an extended hand.

My father sighs, and instead of taking her hand, he runs his own through his blonde hair. He looks back toward me before looking at Bella and sighing heavily again. "Please call me Carlisle."

Bella nods minutely. My father takes to steps toward her and wraps her in a hug. I watch as Bella's eyes widen with the unexpected contact. I'm about to step forward but my mother grabs my hand, squeezing it gently. "Wait," she mouths at me.

After a minute, my father releases Bella. The second I see tears in her eyes, I'm right next to her, wrapping my own arms around her waist. "Are you okay? What did he say to you?"

She's about to answer me, and I ready myself for it. Because depending on her answer, I might have to kick my own dad's ass.

Bella doesn't get a chance to answer me though, because then…

"BOW CHICKA WOW!"


	87. Chapter 87

******A/N: Hello lovelies! I had some computer trouble…again. There was an incident at my brother's birthday party that left me laptopless. :( So please forgive me for updating late.**

* * *

**.**

.

.

**BPOV**

When Edward wraps his arms around me and pulls me toward him, I take comfort in his familiar and comforting embrace, trying to wrap my head around what Carlisle said to me.

_I was wrong. You are the best thing that has happened to my son. Welcome to the family._

His words continue on a loop in my mind, and I'm about to tell Edward that I'm more than okay, when a loud booming voice rings out.

"BOW CHICKA WOW!"

Fuck. I turn around in Edward's arms and grimace. Jasper.

I'm really not in the mood for his stripper jokes. Over the last month, I've talked to him a few times over the phone, simply because of Edward's work-related things. Every single time we've spoken, he's made some lame joke about my past job.

The few times that Edward found out about it, he threatened to kick Jasper's ass. It really doesn't bother me. I know he's only joking and he doesn't mean any harm by it. Plus I know that he loves how much it pisses his brother off, which is the main reason why he does it all in the first place.

However, I would rather him not make those kinds of jokes around Edward's parents. Especially now that I know Carlisle likes me. I'm assuming that the entire family is aware that I'm a stripper, considering it was all over the tabloids for a while, but I'd still rather it not be rubbed in their face.

I smirk when Alice's hand connects with the back of Jasper's head…loudly. "Ow! Ali! What the fuck!"

"Jasper!" Esme screeches with a pointed finger in his direction. "Watch your fucking language!"

I love her. And when Alice snickers and skips toward me, hugging me tightly with no hesitation, I know I'm going to like her too. I feel silly for being afraid of her and thinking we wouldn't get along when she wraps her hand around my own and drags me toward the house. "Come on Bella! We have so much to discuss!"


	88. Chapter 88

.

.

.

**BPOV**

"You guys are staying for the night too, right?" Alice asks me as she plops down on the white sofa in the middle of Esme's gorgeous living room. I nod. "Are you shy or just nervous?" she asks me with a raised eyebrow.

"Um…" I lick my lips. "Just a little nervous."

"Why?"

I let out a small laugh. "Well…I'm sitting here with a famous person who is the sister-in-law to my famous boyfriend. It's a little overwhelming."

"You weren't nervous when you met me at my wedding," Alice says thoughtfully.

"Oh yes I was!" I say with another laugh. "I almost peed my pants when Edward introduced us. And that was different. Edward and I are…more now. He's important to me."

There's a sparkle in Alice's eye when she claps her hands. "Good! I think you're great for him Bella. I don't know you very well, yet, but I know we'll be the best of friends."

I don't argue with her. I want to be Alice's friend. The only real girlfriend I've ever had is Rosalie. I think it'd be amazing to have Alice as a friend. I could always sick her on Jasper when he's being super annoying.

My revenge plot is interrupted by a throat clearing. I look over and see the subject of my plot. I narrow my eyes at Jasper who holds up his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry about that Bella. I crossed the line." He takes a step into the room and runs his hand through his shaggy blonde hair. His blue eyes are pleading with me as he speaks. "It was just a joke. I'm always just joking. But that was rude. You're important to my brother, which makes you important to me. Plus, I really like you. Do you forgive me?"

I'm speechless for a full minute as I process his apology. I look at him skeptically. "Really?"

"Scouts Honor," he says solemnly as he holds up to fingers.

Edward walks in at that moment and smiles at me. "Was Jasper really a boy scout?"

Edward throws his head back and starts laughing. "Yeah he was. You should've seen how well he sold cookies."

"Girl Scouts sold cookies!" Jasper shouts indignantly, even stomping his foot in the process.

"Exactly," Edward deadpans, causing Alice and I to laugh along with him.

This is going to be fun.


	89. Chapter 89

**.**

**.**

**.**

**EPOV**

Fuckin' Jasper.

The dude is always trying to bust my balls, I swear. Like I really need him pulling his shit when Bella's nervous enough? Luckily, I put him in his place quickly, making him feel like a douche and making my girl laugh and smile. He's lucky that I heard him apologize, otherwise I would sack tapped him too. Tht would've been a fuckin' win. Whatever. I'm sure he'll do something else in the next twenty four hours and I'll be able to lay into him then.

Bella squeezes my thigh, bringing me out of my thoughts. "What's up?" I ask with a grin. Damn. I'm so happy. This past month has been the best of my life. I know it sounds crazy, but when I look down at Bella's left hand on my thigh – I want a ring there. I want her to be my wife. We got some shit to work out, but I'm handling that too.

That motherfucker Aro has been real quiet, but I know he's up to some shit. That's just how psychos like him work. I paid him off, and he signed the contract my lawyer gave him, stating that Bella legally owes him nothing. But who the fuck are we kidding? Aro is nothing but legal anyway. I know in his eyes, Bella still belongs to him. He ain't gonna stop just because he was compensated the money she owed him.

It was never about the damn money. It was about Bella. He's probably been fixated on her ever since she started working there. I'm gonna take that motherfucker down. He thinks he runs this goddamn town, thinks he has everyone in his pocket. When you're feared, that's what you get. What he doesn't know though, is I have connections of my own. First I gotta make sure that Emmett and Rosalie are out of there. I know they're not involved in Aro's illegal dealings, but it'd just make me feel better.

I want to hire Emmett as my security, and as for Rosalie…I know she wants to open her own garage. Bella told me her plans when I asked her Rose's reasoning. After ranting to me that she doesn't need some big bad reason to be a stripper, she explained to me that she was saving her money for a down payment. I'm hoping Rosalie will let me become a silent partner. I'd love to fund her dream. She scares the fuck out of me, but I know how important she is to Bella. For all intents and purposes Rosalie and Emmett are Bella's family; which means they'll be my family soon enough.

I'm hoping I'll have their blessing when we discuss all this shit. Bella sighs and lays her head on my chest, rubbing small circles on the skin of my stomach where my shirt's ridden up. I look down at her and see a content smile on her face. "Yo!" I whisper-yell quietly, jokingly to make her smile bigger. She does and giggles too, extra win. "You gonna answer me baby? What's up?"

She shrugs. "Nothing." I follow her gaze and watch as my mother quietly bitches out my brother. His face is beat red and he looks like he's about to cry. Fuckin' priceless. I love my mom. "I'm just happy, you know?"

I look back down at her and smile. "Yeah baby, I know. I'm happy too."


	90. Chapter 90

**.**

**.**

**.**

**BPOV**

Walking into Edward's childhood bedroom feels…weird. Looking around the room, I realize there's even more that I don't know about him. Over the last month, we've learned a lot about each other and our current lives, but there's still more, of course. I know I'll never know everything about him all at once, and I actually love that. I want to learn something new about him every single day. So instead of doubting myself and our feelings for each other, I decide that I'm going to know this side of Edward too.

I want to know about the little boy who won the spelling bee. The teenager who played baseball while also acting in plays for his school. Did the jocks make fun of him? How did he swing both? Did he strive for perfection? How did he manage to also get straight A's? Why didn't he go to college, then?

When Edward joins me in his room a few minutes later, I ask him all of those questions and more. He answers every single one of them in depth, humoring me and letting me know him. Really know him; the real him. When he asks me more questions about my childhood, I answer honestly, letting him see me; the real me, the me before I lost it all, before I gave up everything.

"I didn't mind giving up my life. I didn't think I deserved one after Jake."

"And now?" he asks me quietly as he kisses up my arm, sucking lightly on my neck.

"Now…" I gasp when he gently nips at the skin just below my ear. "Now…I wouldn't give up my life with you for anything. You _are_ my life now."

He groans and shifts so he's lying on top of me. I open my legs to accommodate him immediately. With only his boxers and my panties separating us, we shed them quickly. And then he's there; the head of his hard cock pressing against my wet flesh. "Edward," I moan out his name. "Please." I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down to my lips. I kiss him fiercely, giving him every ounce of my love, showing him how much I need him.

When he rubs the head of his hard cock against my clit, I gasp and arch off the tiny full-sized bed, seeking more friction, more of him. "I need you baby," I whimper. "Please, please, please."

He groans and slides his thick cock inside me. "Shit," he mutters and stills inside me. My pussy clenches around his cock, making Edward groan and curse. "So tight. So good. Why is it always _so_ damn good?"

I don't think he expects an answer, but I give one to him anyway. "Because I love you." He looks into my eyes and I want to squirm under the intensity of his stare, but I don't. I want him to see the truth of my words, to know that I love him so fully, so completed; there's no question about it.

"I love you too Bella. So fucking much."

I bite my lip and then smile. "Yeah?"

He shoves his cock back inside me, hard. His rigorous pace has me gasping and moaning. When I'm at the edge, he leans down, brushing his lips over mine. I feel his hand snake between us. He whispers against my lips as he rubs my clit in persistent circles. "Yeah baby," he finally answers. "I love you more than I ever thought fucking possible."

And then I explode. My orgasm rushing through me, making me completely breathless as his words mix with the pure pleasure coursing through my body. He follows almost immediately after, whispering more of his love for me, making me feel like my life is perfect.

I know it won't be for long. We have so many more hurdles to jump. But hopefully…hopefully we can do it together.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the delay! I promise there won't be anymore. I should be able to update daily/every other day. We're in the homestretch now.**


	91. Chapter 91

**.**

**.**

**.**

**BPOV**

"Good morning," Esme greets us with a huge smile as we step into the kitchen.

I blush and return the sentiment. Edward smirks and chuckles. I want to smack him. After our sweet love making, he turned into a horny teenager. He said he wanted to fuck me in his childhood bedroom. Of course I readily agreed. I mean, how could I not? You have seen the man, right?

Anyway, I was all for it but…we weren't exactly quiet. As soon as I woke up this morning I refused to go downstairs for breakfast, even though the smell of pancakes and sausages was heavenly. Edward made fun of me the entire time we got dressed, telling me that I was being silly. He claimed that there was no way anyone had heard us.

Halfway through breakfast, I relax. No one has said anything, not even Jasper. And honestly, if someone was going to say something, I figured it'd be him. I reach for my orange juice, finally feeling like I can enjoy the meal now that my anxiety is practically non-existent. Just as I bring my juice to my lips, Esme of all people, begins speaking.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?" he murmurs distractedly as he sips his coffee.

"You remember when you were younger, middle school maybe, and you were having those terrible nightmares?"

I take a bite of my pancakes and nearly moan at how good they taste.

"Uh, yeah?" he says it more like a question, confusion coloring his features. "Why?"

"Do you remember how I knew you were having a nightmare?" Edward just shrugs. "You would toss and turn in your bed. It would squeak so loud it'd practically wake up the entire house." Esme smirks as she sips her own coffee before continuing. "Did you have a nightmare last night, Edward?"

"No!" he defends. And then his eyes widen as the implication sinks in.

"Then what was all that squeaking son?" Carlisle asks, trying to fight back laughter. Unfortunately, that's when I had brought my juice to my lips again. Juice spews out in front of me, covering my plate and my shirt. I wipe it off quickly and expect the embarrassment to descend upon me. But it doesn't. I watch in amusement and surprisingly not mortification as Edward's face heats with the most intense blush I've ever seen.

And then, what I'd been expecting all morning happens.

"Edward and Bella did it!" Jasper sings out.

"So did we, Jasper," Alice says with a smile. "Twice."

And then the morning gets even better, because Jasper shrinks back into his seat, his own blush rivaling Edward's as his parents look at him.

Alice, Esme, Carlisle and I, break out into fits of laughter while the two of them look like they want the ground to swallow them whole.


	92. Chapter 92

**.**

**.**

**.**

**EPOV**

"How many more interviews?" I whine as I rub my eyes. Bella laughs at me and I scowl at her. "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing," she shrugs and pulls out her phone. "You have three interviews left, each interview will last five minutes." She walks up behind me and rubs my shoulders. I let out a small moan, letting my head fall forward. "Why are you so frustrated?"

"I don't know," I answer honestly. Usually, I don't mind interviews, even if I have to do fifty in a day. "I'm just tired I guess. And I'm starving." Bella lets out another giggle. "What?" I ask again as she walks over to the small craft service table.

She returns with a bagel and a coffee. "You have three minutes to eat this." She rolls her eyes when I practically inhale the bagel. "I told you to eat this morning."

I smirk as I swallow the last bite of my bagel. "I did." I waggle my eyebrows and am rewarded with a beautiful blush on Bella's cheeks.

"Something more substantial than what is between my thighs, Edward," she says as her blush intensifies.

"But it _is_ my favorite meal," I tease her. I grab her wrists and pull her toward me, smiling when she stands in between my spread legs. "I'm sure you don't really mind." I run my nose along the column of her neck, breathing in her delicious scent. "I think I need another course of Bella after these interviews are over."

"Oh really?" she asks breathlessly as I lick her neck.

"Yes, really," I chuckle against her skin. "I think I deserve a delicious dessert for being a good boy today."

"Ahem."

We both jump as the foreign cough interrupts our bubble.

I peek over Bella's shoulder and see a small woman standing there with a knowing smile on her face. _Shit_. Bella and I have actually been able to keep our relationship relatively on the down-low. Of course, when it was found out that she was my new employee, everyone made their own assumptions. Fortunately, it died down after a week, and there was never any proof to swing it either way. Unfortunately, we just gave this tiny woman a lot of ammunition.

Bella realizes we're not alone and steps back from me quickly, mumbling something about being over at craft services. A few seconds later, the woman's crew enters and begins setting up. When everything is all set up, she introduces herself.

"Hello Edward, my name is Becca with lovemesomeEdward." I let out a small laugh and give her my signature smirk. Thank God! It's one of my fan sites.

"Hello Becca. I'm Edward, as you know." She bites her lip and nods. "I like your website." Her eyes widen. I shrug. "I always check them out. You guys," I nod to her and to the camera, "are the reason I'm here in the first place."

"Wow," she breathes. She shakes her head a few times and takes a deep breath. "I…um…brought some questions from the forums. Is it okay if I ask them?"

"Of course," I nod.

She pulls out her iPad and clears her throat. "This one is from futuremrscullen82: If you didn't win, what do you think you would be doing right now?"

"Good question." I think it over. "I'm not sure. I think I'd probably be in business with my brother. I'd want to have my hand in music, in any capacity. My first love is writing and performing, but if that didn't work out for me, I'd still want to be in the business."

She smiles and nods. "This is from edwardismypopsicle: What is your perfect woman?"

I bark out a laugh. "That's a very…creative username. Um…" I chance a glance at Bella, who blushes. Becca doesn't miss the exchange, and her smile widens. "I'm not looking for my perfect woman. I've found her." I don't know whose eyes widen more – Bella's or Becca's. I lean forward and whisper to Becca. "Do you trust your crew?"

She nods furiously and scoffs. "It's just my brother and his friend. Why?"

"I'm about to give you an exclusive – something that no one else has gotten today. I want it only on your site, okay?"

"O-Okay," she stutters.

"Bella!" I call over to my beautiful girl. She looks up and eyes me curiously. "Come here baby."

Becca squeals.

This will be fun.


	93. Chapter 93

**A/N: Sorry for all the delay bullshit. If you read any of my other stories, you know what's up.**

* * *

**BPOV**

I look at Edward with wide eyes, wondering what the fuck he's doing. Does he seriously want to expose us in this way? I mean, sure, over the last few weeks, people have wondered about us – some creepy tabloids have even made claims that we're together. But we've never confirmed or denied it. Doesn't he realize that by doing this, we're opening ourselves up to a shit-storm of tabloid and paparazzi mayhem? They're going to dig around for any dirt they can find – dirt that I'd rather the entire country, or hell, the entire fucking world not find out about.

But apparently, Edward isn't thinking about any of this. He's not thinking about what they can dig up, or the shit they can stir. He's only thinking about himself right now, the fact that he wants to claim me as his and himself as mine. Honestly, I'm not trying to be an ungrateful bitch. Any girl should be happy that her boyfriend – famous or not – wants it to be known. It should make me extremely happy that someone like Edward – so beautiful and famous and perfect – wants everyone to know that's he's taken…by me. And that's what it is, that's what's bothering me.

I'm not good enough for him. I'm afraid if we make an "announcement" and make it "official" that's when shit will hit the fan. All of his crazy ass fangirls will freak the fuck out because their precious Edward Cullen is officially off the market. They'll no longer be able to fantasize about him being with them, because he's with someone else. That will set them off to hate me, just because I'm with him. Then when the paparazzi come into play, they'll dig up dirt on my past. The fangirls mothers will flip out because of my past and then they might just forbid their fangirl daughters from listening to Edward. And then? I've destroyed his whole entire career before it ever really had a chance to start.

So when Edward opens his mouth to speak, to say the words I know will ruin us completely, I freak out and cover his mouth with my hand. "Edward. Can I talk to you for a second? In private." My tone is clipped and probably comes off as harsh – which I don't mean, but I'm just freaking out here. When I see the nervous lookjing girl flinch and bite her lip, I know I'm coming off as a bitch. "I'm sorry," I say apologetically. "I'm not trying to be a bitch. And I'm not trying to ruin your exclusive or anything. I just need to talk to Edward for a second. Okay?"

"O-Okay."

Edward looks at me with confusion covering his features as I grab his hand and squeeze. "Come on." He doesn't say a word as I lead him out of the "interview room" in the hotel. I don't stop until we're in his hotel room's bathroom.

When the door clicks behind us, I feel infinitely better. Until he finally speaks. "What the fuck, Bella?"

* * *

**A/N: Sigh. Let's hope that Edward can talk some sense into Bella finally, eh?**


	94. Chapter 94

**EPOV**

"What the fuck, Bella?" I wince at the harsh tone of my own voice and feel like shit when Bella flinches, but goddamn it, how many times do I need to tell her this shit? Apparently a hell of a fucking lot. "What was all of that back there?" I ask when I realize she still hasn't said anything.

"I…I…"

"You what? Why the fuck can't you just…just accept us? Just accept me? Accept the fact that I love you and want to be with you? What's so wrong with me wanting the entire fucking universe to know that I'm with you and want no one else? Jesus Christ Bella! Any other woman in this world would love for their boyfriend to do that, and here I am wanting to, and…and-"

I don't get to finish my thought because suddenly Bella's lips are pressed against mine firmly, making speech impossible. She pushes me back until I'm sitting on the toilet and before I know it, she's on top of me, straddling me; her hips making delicious swivels over my already swelling cock. "Fuck, Bella, wait…" I groan out in between deep kisses. She doesn't wait. She keeps going; grinding her hot little fucking body down on me. "We need to talk."

"I know," she whimpers against my neck. "I know and I'm sorry. But I need this right now." She removes her face from the crook of my neck and stares at me. "Please?" Damn. I can't resist those fucking puppy dog eyes.

I don't answer with words. I grip her hips roughly and pull her back against me. She lets out a moan as she grinds against my dick. "Get naked," I mutter as I pull my own shirt off. "Now."

She stands up and quickly complies, grinning down at me the entire time. I unbutton my pants and lift my hips up enough to pull them down. Bella giggles as I attempt to kick them off. "You know you need to take your shoes off first." I mumble and try to but she stops me. "We don't have much time. Leave them on. Besides, everything I need is right there," she giggles as she points to my dick. When she sits her naked ass back on my lap I'm inclined to agree. Fuck my shoes.

Bella reaches between us and strokes my dick, making me groan into her neck. "Fuck!" I grit out when she rubs the head of my cock against her slick clit. "I need to be inside you baby."

"Your wish is my command." She grins at me goofily as she lowers her wet pussy down onto my shaft. Her smile disappears as her mouth opens and her eyes go wide. "God," she moans out. "So good. Always so fucking good." She lifts her hips up slowly before slamming back down onto my cock. I lean forward and flick her hard nipples with the tip of my tongue as she continues to ride me slow and deep.

My hands reach around and grip her ass, helping to guide her hot pussy back and forth over my hard cock; over and over and over again until we're both panting and ready to fucking explode. I capture her lips with my own when I feel my release coiling in my stomach. I shove my tongue down her throat, practically fucking her mouth while I fuck her pussy.

"Shit, shit, shit," she chants while her pussy clamps down around me, damn near making my eyes cross. "I'm gonna cum."

"Cum baby," I groan. "Cum now or not at all."

She lets out a breathless chuckle that turns into a long drawn out moan as she rides her high. The walls of her pussy grip me fiercely, finally pulling my orgasm from me, making me moan and shudder. After a few minutes of regulating our breathing, I chuckle. "Damn that was good."

"Mhm," she mumbles against my neck.

"Now we need to talk."

I can't see her face but I know she's definitely not smiling now. When she looks up at me, I know that I'm right. "Don't look so miserable, baby. You know this talk is obviously long overdue."

"I know," she sighs.

"Well?" I ask.

She looks confused now. "Well, what?"

"Explain yourself."


	95. Chapter 95

**BPOV**

Explain myself? I have no idea what to say. Everything makes so much sense in my head…but whenever I say it out loud it sounds silly and childish. Does that mean that my thoughts are silly and childish? I mean…if they made sense to more than just my paranoid brain then they would sound as good out loud as they do in my head, right?

"Bella?"

Oh. Right. He's waiting for me to spew out all of my insecurities…again. Jesus Christ, I know myself. I wonder how I haven't annoyed him yet. How the hell does he put up with me? Why does he put up with me?

And that's when something clicks. Because he loves me.

That's why he puts up with all of my shit. He loves me for me and wants to be with me. But honestly? How much longer do I expect him to keep fighting for me? To keep telling me everything I want to hear. It has to be exhausting.

I take a deep breath and do what I know I have to do.

"There's nothing to explain." He looks at me doubtfully. "Don't look at me like that," I say a bit more defensively than I really meant to. "Sorry," I apologize quickly. "I'm not trying to be a bitch." I take a deep breath. "Okay. Um…I'm also sorry about what I did downstairs. I just…kinda panicked, you know? You were about to officially out us to the entire world and I got scared. We've already gotten some flack over simple rumors that I'm more than your PA. So what do you think will happen when it's actually confirmed that you're with me? People will be vicious and I'm not sure you're prepared for that."

"Are you really afraid that I'm not prepared for it? Or are you really afraid that you're not prepared for it?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

His question catches me off guard a bit, but I answer immediately. "Both." I take a deep breath. "I'm afraid that I'm not strong enough to handle it all without crumbling, without becoming an annoying needy little bitch that needs your constant reassurance. And I'm afraid that doing that will eventually make you tired of me. Or maybe you'll agree with what everyone else says about me and realize that you can do so much better than me. It's just…it all seems like such a risk."

"Love is always a risk, Bella," he says softly as he caresses my face. "I can't guarantee that you and I will ride off into the sunset and have the happiest of happily ever afters. I can't promise you that everything will be perfect and easy. All I can promise you is that I love you with my whole entire heart and that I will always and forever try my very best to be everything you need me to be. Okay?" I nod. "I'm serious Bella. I want you forever and nobody else is going to be able to change that. The future of us depends on _us_."

I can't help the wide smile that overwhelms my face. "Really?"

"Really. Now. Can we go give my biggest and best fansite an exclusive?"

"Yeah," I say with real confidence. "Let's go let every woman in the world know that you're mine and there's no chance that they'll ever get this." I give his now limp dick a little squeeze and he lets out a loud moan.

"Bella…don't start something we don't have time to finish."

"Later?" I ask with a smirk.

"Always," he answers with a quick kiss to my lips.


	96. Chapter 96

EPOV

"Whoa! Wait a second…you didn't know who he was?" Angela asks with a bewildered expression on her face that makes me bark out a laugh. I shake my head and grin at Bella's blushing face.

"Nope. I didn't have a clue who he was. I watched the show a few years ago, when I was in high school, but I was never a very religious watcher. And…I was so busy with school that it was really the last thing on my mind."

"But you never noticed any magazine covers or like…I don't know E! coverage? _Nothing_?"

Bella smiles and shrugs. "Nope."

"Wow, that's crazy! So you're just at work and in walks Edward Cullen and you have no idea who he is. If Edward Cullen walked into my job I would've soo passed out."

"Edward Cullen is sitting right here," I chuckle. I instantly feel bad when Angela's cheeks brighten redder than I've ever seen Bella's. I send her a wink to make her feel better and my eyes widen when she gasps and tears fill her eyes.

"Cut the tape Tommy!" she squeaks out. She leaps up out of her chair and walks over to the craft service table. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," she chants over and over again.

"What did I do?" I ask Bella, feeling panic rise.

"You dazzled her!"

I bark out a laugh but stop when Bella's eyes narrow at me. "What?" I ask defensively. "You're not being serious, are you?"

"Yes! Jesus, the poor girl. Stay here! And…don't be so charming when we get back!"

I don't know how I fucking do it, but I hold back the laugh that wanted to escape. "Okay, I'll try." I give her a wink of her own and grin inwardly when she lightly blushes too. Maybe I do dazzle women. Who knew?

After a few minutes, Bella gets her back over and I finish the rest of the interview pretending she's Alice; treating her like a little sister, which made her relax and feel a lot more comfortable.

-o-

"Edward! Wake up!"

I sit upright, my heart beating in my chest. "What? What's wrong?"

"Look!" She hands me a piece of paper with trembling fingers. My mouth instantly goes dry when I see how nervous she is. "I knew this was going to happen, I fucking knew it!" She's openly crying now.

"Bella, relax. Let me see what it is, baby."

"It's Aro!" she cries before I can even look at the paper.


	97. Chapter 97

**BPOV**

I knew it.

I knew the second that I let it all go, the second that I actually let myself breathe, something would come crashing in, stealing the air right from my lungs; right along with my happiness and sanity. I'm sputtering for air as I stutter out mumbled cries.

"Shh," Edward tries to calm me down, but I'm so beyond that right now. It doesn't matter that I'm no longer looking at the paper; the words are burned into my brain for eternity. "It's okay baby, it doesn't matter. Just remember what I told you, okay?"

"It isn't okay, Edward! Do you not see what that says?"

He rolls his eyes at me and huffs. "Of course I see what it says. Contrary to popular belief, Bella, I can read. I don't care about this," he says as he crumbles up the paper. "He can threaten me all he wants, it doesn't change anything."

I hop up out of bed and pick the paper up, smoothing it out and laying it across his lap. "It does matter, Edward. Your career matters." I re-read the words again.

_Dump the bitch or I'll dump your career down the toilet. If that isn't enough incentive, I wonder what Mommy dearest would think of your lovely Bella's career history. Call the number included if you wish to settle this privately._

"Let him do whatever he wants. Nobody is going to care, Bella." I roll my eyes at that. "Okay, I'll rephrase. I don't care what anyone else thinks. We've had this conversation over and over again. I love you and nothing anyone else says or does is going to change that. Let him say whatever he wants. If it makes you feel any better, we can go and tell my mom tomorrow. That way she hears it from us."

I swallow the lump of anxiety-fueled nausea and nod. "Okay."

"We're in this together, remember?" I nod again. "And Bella?" I look up at him, blinking a few times so his face loses the blurriness. "You're fucking worth this. Every single bit of it. Got me?"

"I got you," I whisper.

He answers with a smirk, followed by a kiss and a mumbled, "Damn right you do," against my lips.


End file.
